


Takagi Has A Gift - And It's Not One Kaitou Approves Of

by hisfoolishgirl



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Also it reads like it's crack, And Kaito has a lot of secerts, And maybe those secrets are just a little tiring to carry on their own, Bromance, But it's kinda squinting to see it, F/M, Gen, It's not squinting to see it, Maybe Saguru/Akako, Probably cause it really kinda is exactly that, So does Conan, Takagi also kinda stumbles into the budding bromance of Cone and Kid, Takagi finds out alot of secerts, Takagi is like a dad to the two yo, dad!Takagi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2017-05-27
Packaged: 2018-09-03 16:32:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8720914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hisfoolishgirl/pseuds/hisfoolishgirl
Summary: In which Takagi has the gift of being in the wrong place - or the right place - at the wrong time - or maybe the right time - and happens to find out more then he'd ever expected to find out about the child detective and the kid thief.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm currently working myself through some writer's block. So if it is trash - it is trash.
> 
> But this site doesn't have enough What If fics with Takagi finding out the truth behind Conan - So it's going live. It's getting posted. Even if it's dumpster fire. I'm trash. It's my trash of choice, and I am deciding that I'll share my take on this particular trash.

Kaitou had never been a particularly creative thief - a beautiful magician, but that was a completely different game compared to theft. Once a month he broke in and then he broke out to hold the chosen gem up to the moon light.

Every time he found himself returning the gem, and every time he cursed his father for the set up he’d have to use as follow through to find the men behind the murder.

Conan had never been good at the whole people thing. Why else would he lie to the woman he loved about living with her? Why else would he be able to play a life or death stakes game of chess - with real living breathing pieces - opposite a man only know as you? Why else would he think that maybe - just maybe - using essentially the only man that might be considered to him as a second father was a good idea?

He was never really good at that people thing, and when he saw Ran crying over his - what had been his face - well - Was it really a surprise he’d told her to move on? Even though he knew he was more then shattering both their hearts?

She was an angel after all, and angels are filled with love - and forgiveness.

She wouldn’t know though, after the two years that had passed… Perhaps Shinichi was in the right to push his angel over a cliff she didn’t know he’d taken her to.

Takagi had never been good at following up on his curiousity.

Except when it came to Satou.

Conan defusing a bomb? Well - after two years? It was hardly a thing he’d come to question at this point, and he was, oddly enough, fine with that. 

It was a theft with a performance for Kuroba. Conan was there and so was Hakuba.

And Aoko. 

Aoko who knew. An Aoko who didn’t tell. Aoko - who was still trying to arrest him. Aoko…

… Aoko who made distracting Hakuba so much easier.

That was how he’d come to only have Conan making it to the roof top with him.

Conan enjoyed his conversations with Kaitou Kid.

“Alone tonight as well?” He asked as he watched Kaitou perform the same ritual he had every time he’d caught up to him, holding the stolen prize up to the moon’s silver light.

Kaitou glanced at Conan. A small smirk appeared on his lips, “A boy your age shouldn’t be worried about how I spend my evenings, Meitantei. Weither they are alone - or not.”

Conan’s laugh was joyless, “Well played,” He answered.

Kaitou Kid shrugged, and he made a big display of tossing the stone back to Conan, “You make it too easy,” A comment that could have held a flirt - held the same joyless mirror up to the Conan’s expression.

That was after all the extent of their knowledge of the other of their relationship - being a release for the other’s pain.

“I let her go,” Conan croaked.

Kaitou’s loose posture stiffened, “Conan,” He mumbled, “That’s not how we-”

Conan rubbed the bridge of his nose, “-Play this game?” He finished for the thief in front of him, “I know. But this time I had to say it. I can’t tell anyone else. Not with how much this hurts me.” He looked up at Kaitou and a weak, small, pathetic smile played with his lips, “Sorry. I still shouldn’t have-”

“I’m sorry,” Kaitou whispered, “I - I completely understand.”

“I figured you would,” Conan’s face wore neither smile or frown, but eyes filled with wear and sympathy. He looked away, and there was an echo of a single pair of steps coming up to them. Conan’s lips tightened, and he still didn’t look up at the thief. He held up the gem in some sort of wave off.

Kaitou stared at Conan for a moment longer before falling backwards off the building in his escape.

“Conan,” Both only faintly heard Takagi’s voice, for different reasons. It was the last thing Kaitou heard before the wind dragged his glider far, far away from his simliarly broken detective.

Conan looked up at Takagi, and his Conan smile easily fell into place.

His eyes now masked behind a childish glimmer as he held up the gem to the office, “Silly Kid,” He giggled.

Takagi stared at Conan, and he slowly shook his head, “Yeah,” He mumbled, “Silly kid indeed.”

Perhaps - Kaitou was getting better at stealling - he’d stolen someone’s trust.

Perhaps - Conan was getting better at the people thing - he’d finally opened up when he’d needed to.

And, perhaps, Takagi was finally starting to question Conan’s highly conflicting behaviors. He’d been listening in after all. He knew Kaitou Kid and he knew Conan was just a kid. So, he’d snuck up on them, and he’d heard so much. He decided to backtrack, and then he decided to blow his cover.

He didn’t know how he’d felt about Conan deciding to blow his own with a thief - and not a man he worked with nearly every day.

* * *

 

It was a month later, and this time Conan and Kaitou were truly alone on the roof top. It hadn’t been a performance night. It was not a thief clad in white, but two men sitting in black and dark grey, with ice cream in hand.

“So,” Kaitou grumbled as he pulled off the ski mask Conan had insisted that the two of them wear on their journey to an abandoned apartment rooftop, “Is this remote enough for you?”

Conan glanced up at Kaitou, and he blinked. He rolled up only half of his ski mask before taking a lick from his ice cream.

Kaitou frowned at the unspoken no.

Conan laughed, and he finished pulling off his mask, “Of course it is,” He answered, “I choose it for a reason after all.”

Kaitou kept frowning, “What are you? Are you sure you’re seven-”

“Eight-”

“Eight-” Kaitou rolled with the correction before being interrupted again.

“Teen. Kid, Eighteen.”

“You have got to be kidding me,” Kaitou moaned.

“Of course,” Conan frowned before turning to look away. He took another lick from his ice cream, “I mean - I am just a kid. We’re both Kids in our own ways… aren’t we?”

Kaitou smirked, and it was the first time he’d let out so much a real chuckle with real joy alone with the detective, “Humor,” Kaitou mumbled, “Always with the surprises.”

Conan grunted, and he nodded, “Either way. This roof is just fine. It’s completely secure. I confirmed with Officer Takagi this morning. There’s no one here. There was a drug bust, and everyone was involved with the ring working in here in some way shape or form.”

“Woah.”

“Yeah. Surprisingly,” Conan rolled his eyes, “It was a surprise.”

“What part of that was a surprise? You sounded disappointed by it - clearly you don’t mean _everyone being in on it_ \- do you?”

Conan smirked, “In part. Mainly that with it being so large - I was surprised it wasn’t _larger_.” He glanced up at Kaitou, and their eyes met. Kaitou caught a spark, and he knew about his own nightly menace. At this point he shouldn’t be surprised if…

“What do you mean _larger_?”

Conan shrugged, “Maybe I thought…” He bit his lip before he sighed. He turned his back to the ledge, and he slide down to the grown, “It would be connected to a bar that I know of - or perhaps,” He looked up at Kaitou. His eyes demanded that Kaitou’s not part from his, “A zoo of some sort. You do know of a Zoo don’t you?”

“Who are you?” Kaitou breathed.

“I already told you,” Conan answered, “I’m eighteen.” He closed his eyes and his face rolled back to the sky as if the faint moonlight could somehow relieved him from the weight on him, “Don’t you know of any teenage detectives that have gone missing?”

Kaitou swallowed, “Kudo Shinichi,” He whispered.

“Yeah,” He whispered, or tried, “Don’t wear it out.”

“I won’t.”

“Thank you.” Tears rolled down his face, “For everything.”

“I’m so sorry you had to let her go.”

“It’s better for her,” Conan answered simply.

Kaitou sat next to Conan, and he grabbed the boy’s hand. He squeezed, “Doesn’t make it better. Or any easier.”

Conan’s quiet sobs were the only company the two had on the roof.

Neither knew of Takagi sitting behind the door keeping guard. Conan hadn’t thought the man to be curious to follow up on Conan’s actions - about what Conan might do knowing about an abandoned building.

Now, no one but Takagi knew that he too was in on Conan’s secret, and he was sure going to make sure he kept it that way - and that the two boys on the roof stayed undisturbed on this moonlit night.

It was the least he could do for not stepping in sooner.

* * *

 

Takagi was pointing a gun at Kaitou. He was also pointing it at Conan. It was not a situation he liked, but Conan was unconscious in Kid’s arms.

And - Kid was the one with a gun trained to the back of his head. 

Takagi cursed his luck. Of course the Zoo had come to his station with the newest recruit. He’d been assigned supervising, and he should have known what that had meant with his luck.

Kaitou’s slight nod was all Takagi needed to pull the trigger.

His first shot had pinned Kaitou in the shoulder. He collapsed, and the animal behind him took a step back in surprise.

The villian lifted his gun, pointed it to the sky in surprise, as he took a step back.

Takagi shot again.

This time it wasn’t an innocent that fell to the ground.

Takagi rushed. He cuffed the man, and then he turned his attention to wear Kaitou Kid had fallen.

He grumbled. The space was empty. There wasn’t a single drop of blood on the ground.

“Of course he’d be wearing a vest. I would be too,” He grumbled. He holstered his gun before rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Since the night on the rooftop he’d decided to look into Kaitou’s heists. One report had a singular irregularity of a bullet hole that had been noticed when an officer had tried to pursue the thief.

It wouldn’t be hard now to make the case that the others had been tampered with, but the luck of the draw also meant that simply, maybe they’d never noticed them. 

After all - if a Zoo was connected to a Bar, a shrunken teen boy, and a moonlight gentleman thief - was it really to far a stretch to guess that maybe, just maybe, the standard TMPD might be just a hair out of their league with a case like that?

* * *

 

Kaitou hadn’t dropped a drop of blood, because Conan had covered the wound after the jostle and scrap of concrete on his face had woken him up from the accidental shot he’d gotten from his own watch.

A glide from the rooftop, a crash land a moment later, and a phone call later meant that Kaitou would be waking up in the Professor’s house with a shrunken scientist performing a homemade medical stitch job - without any local anesthetic.

* * *

 

It was a week later when Kaitou was stumbling after Conan to get the stitches removed.

“Do you think that demon doctor has pain killer’s this time?”

“You know what - I think we should have all shared names if that’s the name you’re going to give the person that kept you out of an ER.”

Kaitou frowned, “Point made, and taken. But, really - Does she-”

“Yes,” Conan rolled his eyes, “I had time this time to make sure she was properly stocked for this sort of situation.”

Kaitou smiled, “Fantastic.”

* * *

 

“Well,” Takagi mumbled as he turned right around before the boys could notice him, “I suppose that corrected an assumption or two.”

They were just boys after all - Very skilled ones, but, still, why  _ had _ he just assumed that they had properly accounted for getting shot at in the first place anyways?

* * *

 

Conan sat across the table from Ran, “So tomorrow is your first date? With someone other then Shinichi niisan?” 

His voice shared all the excitement that his heart felt pain.

Ran smiled and she nodded. She bit her lip, “I am so excited, Conan,” She whispered.

Conan smiled back, “Yay! Its good to see you smile!”

Conan - Shinichi - didn’t know that a simple truth would have kept her waiting another ten years. He didn't know a confession could have kept them on the same page. Or that if she ever knew he had decided on his own for her that her heart had been better off without his in her life that that was the only true source of her anger that he could give her. 

Instead he kept lying, and he watched her go down a road that honestly neither would have wanted to happen.

* * *

 

Kuroba was a name Kaitou barely felt like he was using these days now that he was out of high school. His work was online and through contracts with people he contacted only as need be. It was a point Aoko was constant in making. 

That nagging - her telling him that she’d break up with Hakuba if he’d only stop being Kid - was the reason he found himself on the doorstep to the Mouri Agency dressed as Shinichi Kudo.

He knocked. He didn’t know why he was there, but when he saw Ran - he knew he looked as worn and battered emotionally as he felt if her expression was anything to go by.

“Can I see Conan? I want to find out if he’ll help me run an errand?”

“For the case you’re currently working on?” She asked faintly.

He smiled in the same manner, faintly, “Something,” He muttered, “Something like that.”

She nodded, and she looked as if she was about to say more, but then she simply turned and closed the door on him without even telling him that she would be right back, that she would find out for him.

Given what he knew about Shinichi and Ran’s relationship - well it was odd to think that maybe Conan might be in the healthier relationship.

The slowly opened to show Conan standing alone, “Come on,” Conan grumbled, “Let’s get going.”

Kuroba nodded.

Both men focused on their thoughts so they wouldn’t focus on the sound of Ran’s tears that barely hit them as Conan closed the door.

* * *

 

Conan was surprised at the fact that he wasn’t mad at Kaitou for wearing his face, or for seeing Ran with it. He sat next to Kaitou in the brisk fall air with a hot can of black coffee in his small hands. Kaitou had a hot cider in his.

Both sat in silence.

* * *

 

Takagi wasn’t surprised to see Shinichi Kudo. He was sitting next to Conan - and that meant he’d happened to stumble across Kaitou Kid and the shrunken teenage detective. He nodded at them as he passed them to get the vending machine beside them. They weren’t talking and he wasn’t going to break the mellow air without a reason. He grabbed his own hot drink, and then he turned to Kaitou, “Do you mind if I sit beside you?” He asked.

Both of the boys slide down a little bit more even though there had been more then enough space for the grown detective. He took it as the silent yes that it was, and he sat beside them, drinking his own drink, hoping that somehow he was the reassurance that they both seemed to need.

* * *

 

Kaitou stood once his can was empty. The vending machine was right next to their bench, and he purchased another. He glanced at Conan, and the shrunken teen nodded. Kaitou bought another coffee. He glanced at Takagi. Takagi didn’t notice. Kaitou sat back down, and he handed the coffee to Conan.

Takagi saw him hand the child the bitter caffeine laced drink, and he didn’t raise an eyebrow. He didn’t speak, and he didn’t ask why he was giving a kid coffee.

Kaitou looked at Conan. The real Shinichi was completely at ease with the same realization.

Kaitou didn’t break the silence.

* * *

 

Takagi looked at his empty can. He wanted to stay, but the boys seemed to have no soon intent to leave the fall air. He had work to get back to. He had a partner - in more way then one - waiting for him to get back to the office.

He stood, and he nodded, “I’ll see you boys around,” He whispered before leaving.

Neither broke the silence to share the farewell with him.

After all - next time he wouldn’t really be seeing them, now would he?   


* * *

 

“So he knows?” Kaitou whispered as they both watched Takagi’s back retreating from them.

“I don’t know how,” Conan answered. His voice was so tired. He still needed another coffee apparently, “But it would seem to be so.”

A scream later, and all three were standing next to the corpse of a battered woman, and a passed out witness.

* * *

 

For once, Conan didn’t have to act like the child while solving the case for them - except when questioning the witness. Takagi had that routine down to an art, and the new found ease of it made it - made it a relief. It was much easier for an officer to do the questioning after all - or at least backing him up with complete confidence.

Kaitou stood next to Conan as they watched Takagi arrest the criminal, “So,” Kaitou said slowly, “Is this what you normally do?”

“I normally have to drug Ran’s dad.”

“That’s rough.”

Conan’s laugh was cold and bitter, “It’s hardly the worst thing I’ll have to apologize for if she ever finds out about me.”

Takagi glanced back at Conan, and his eyes were filled with so much hard cold sympathy, that if they already hadn’t figured out he’d known, they would have now.

“He must have overheard at some point.”

“Lets only hope it was only him then…”

“Indeed.” Conan looked up at Kaitou, “So are you going to make swinging by an often occurrence?”

“I needed a break from my life,” Kaitou broke eye contact.

“I didn't mean to frame it as something you should stop doing,” Conan rubbed the bridge of his nose, and Takagi stepped over. He tapped the criminals shoulder, and Conan raised an eyebrow. Takagi tapped his wrist, his watch.

Conan’s lips formed an ‘o’, and he darted the villain.

“Kudo,” Takagi whispered with his gaze on Conan, “Why don’t you live with me then? I mean… I don’t know if my apartment has the space, but - but if you need to live in a space where you can stop lying… I just wanted to offer you that.”

Kaitou choked, and he stared at Conan.

Conan stared with wide, wide eyes at the officer in front of him, “Run that by me again.” He managed.

“I don’t know why you’re living with the Mouri’s,” Takagi admitted, “But if you feel the need to change space - I want to offer a part of mine to you…”

Conan looked up at Kaitou, and Kaitou bent down to whisper in his fellow teen’s ear, “If you can cut the Mouri’s out completely they’ll be safer from the Bar won’t they?”

“But then,” Conan shook his head, “No,” He told Takagi, “I can’t-”

“You said you’d tell me who you are in the afterlife, Conan,” Takagi gently chided. He smiled as he adjusted the villain in his grip, “I know you’re not living a safe secret, and we can keep it at that if need be.” Takagi shrugged, “Take your time, Conan. Promise me, that you’ll at least think about it.”

Conan nodded, and Kaitou watched the officer leave, “He’s a good man,” Kaitou whispered.

“Very,” Conan agreed quickly, “He’s a very, very good man.”

* * *

 

It was a week later on another murder scene when Conan saw Takagi again.

The crime was so easy to solve - cornering Takagi alone with the Mouri’s present? Less so.

“I don’t have a reason to move in with you,” Conan whispered.

Takagi smirked, “I’m sure you’ll think of something, kid.” He ruffled Conan’s hair, “It would probably be odd for me to start prepping now then wouldn’t it?”

Conan chuckled, “I’m surprised you didn’t already.”

“Would have,” Takagi shrugged, his smile quickly vanishing, “But - Didn’t know if you’d take me up on it…”

Conan smirked, “Fair enough.”

* * *

 

Conan didn’t have Kaitou’s number. The one number from their time working together on the train was no longer connecting. So, he found himself on Nakamori’s doorstep. 

He didn’t know why he wasn’t waiting, or why he wasn’t just asking for someone else’s help with the cover he had for moving in with the officer.

Perhaps he just needed a friend to reassure him that this was the right idea. Ai insisted that they not risk Takagi - that any risk they had already put the Mouri’s in had done the damage and nothing could change that.

He couldn’t tell her about Ran. She knew Ran had moved on, but she didn’t know why. He couldn’t watch her moving on at his own insistence.

So he knocked on the door of the lead of the Kaitou Kid team.

Nakamori was as surprised to see him as Conan was to be there.

“Um, Conan?” Nakamori stepped aside and invited the child in, “Uh, welcome. How about you come inside and tell me why you couldn’t just wait to talk to me at the office tomorrow? You’re there more often then naught after all.”

Conan chuckled nervously as he stepped inside, “For the homicide division,” Conan admitted as he stepped inside, “Today, I’d like to keep something off the books, and it’s related to your Kid.”

“Aoko?”

“No?”

“Oh - then you mean Kuroba-”

“Who?”

“Oi, Aoko!” A man screamed - Conan recognized the voice immediately. It was Shinichi - or rather Kaitou Kid in-

“BaKaito!” Aoko’s shouting interrupted his thoughts, “How dare you ruin my fish-”

“You knew I was coming over for dinner tonight!” Kuroba responded, “You should have known exactly what was going to happen if you made _fish_ -”

Both turned to the newcomers, Nakamori and Conan. Kuroba’s face paled in response to Conan’s appearance. Aoko’s in response to her father’s, and to his frown.

“I swear,” Nakamori grumbled, “You two get more hostile with every passing day. It use to be adorable - like an old bickering couple, but now you two just seem to legitimately want to kill the other.”

“Never,” Kuroba whispered. He grabbed his coat, “But I know when I’m no longer -”

Nakamori rolled his eyes, “You know better then that - and besides what are you going to eat in that abandoned house?”

“I do in fact live there-” Kuroba squawked.

“The lights are never on,” Aoko sneered, “We all know  _ you only eat out - who knows where you actually live these days. _ ”

“ _ There are plenty of decent restaurants out there that treat me better then you do. _ ”

“Because you have to  _ pay  _ them to.”

Conan’s cheeks were red with second hand embarrassment of watching Kaitou argue with the woman he had had to let go.

Nakamori rolled his eyes, “Aoko,” He growled.

Her eyes flickered to Conan, “Ah, right,” She looked away and ran her fingers through her hair, “We have a guest,” She looked at Kaitou, “The Kid killer himself - in person.”

“I told you, Aoko,” Kaitou croaked, “Kid was my passing obsession in high school. I can act civil about this _if you can_.”

“Of course I can-” Aoko started to hiss. She turned back to the kitchen, “I have another fish. I’ll try to fix up a dinner good enough for our newest guest-”

“I’m sorry,” Conan tried to stop her with his words, but she was out of the room by the time he’s finished his sentence, “But I’m not staying that long…”

Nakamori smirked, “Can’t blame you for that at this point,” He crossed his arms and leaned on the nearest piece of furniture, “So what can I do for you, boy?”

“I was just wondering how you got the messages from Kaitou Kid?” Conan pulled out a white slip of paper, and he held it up to the detective in front of him. Kaitou’s curiousity was perked, and he watched, “I got this the other day, and I wanted to see if you could tell me if it was a forgery or not… It’s not his usual MO after all...”

Kaitou barely bit back a smirk, and Conan glanced over at him while Nakamori stared at the paper in his hands. He frowned and he raised an eyebrow, the unspoken  _ why _ clearly sent between them.

Kaitou smirked, and he bit back the mirth of being caught in his very ironic life.

“There’s a riddle,” Nakamori answered. He held the note back to Conan, “Method of arrival always changes - but he hasn't been giving out riddles as of late. The last year or so in fact - it seems as if the thief is bored and would rather quit - but obviously can’t. For whatever reason that is...”

“Ah,” Was all Conan could manage, “Well thanks for the information then.”

“No worries,” Nakamori answered, “Did you come here all by yourself?”

Conan nodded.

Nakamori pulled out his wallet and he handed Kuroba an amount of money that Conan couldn’t make out, “Take the boy home for me will you?” Nakamori told Kaitou.

Conan would normally protest, but this time he smirked.

“And make sure you both eat something please,” A soft edge hit the tone of Nakamori’s voice, and it felt like something Conan shouldn’t have been hearing, “Please, Kuroba. I know you’re not eating properly these days.”

Kuroba ran a hand through his hair, and he frowned. He took the money, “Got it. Can do, old man.”

Nakamori smirked, and he ruffled Kaito’s hair, before pushing both of them out of the house.

Conan stood on the doorstep next to Kaitou with the closed down behind, “Well,” He started, “You’re life seems-”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Understood.” Conan answered. His stomach growled, “But we are really going for dinner, right?”

Kaitou frowned at the boy for a moment before a smirk and a playful gleam filled his eyes, “We will. But lets eat at my place. The officer’s right though. I don’t have any food - so what sort of food do you want for take out?”

Conan shrugged, “If it is with coffee then I will have no qualms with anything.”

Kaitou laughed, but quickly cut it off so the Nakamori’s in the house behind them couldn’t hear. He held out his hand, “Gotta play the mask, no?”

Conan smirked, and he nodded. He took Kuroba’s hand, “To the mask, eh, niisan?”

Kaitou’s laughter was no so toned down as the skipped away from the Nakamori’s house, “Exactly, Conan-kun. Forever and for always.”

* * *

 

And so both of them found themselves giddy with the last span of acting they’d needed before they rounded the corner and were completely out of sight of the Nakamori house.

Both stopped skipping, and they stared at each other, dropping hands quickly, “That was tiring,” Kaitou grumbled.

“Old man,” Conan grumbled back.

“You want dark and bitter coffee. I don’t want you chiding me over being old.”

Conan smirked, “But you are, niisan, you’re just so much older then me.”

“Oh god,” Kaitou ran his fingers down his face, “You really don’t get out enough do you?”

Conan shrugged, “My other friend lives in Osaka.”

Kaitou smirked, “Of course he does.”

“He’s the son of the superintendent down there, Kuroba. Or should I call you Kaito? Or should I call you-”

“Point made. You can now have me arrested at any point in time-”

Conan laughed. Kuroba blinked, and then he laughed as well.

“We both-” Kaitou started, “Gah, Kudo, how did our lives get so complicated?”

Conan was struggling to breath with the amount of laughter filling his lungs, “As if I could have an answer for that.”

Both men slide down the side of the near by building, and they sat in silence, “I thought we were getting dinner,” Kaitou grumbled.

“We both need the rest,” Conan grumbled.

“Fair enough.”

* * *

 

Kaitou let Kudo carry the dinner as he unlocked his house. It required both hands. There was no key to his lock. Only his skills with a set of lock picks.

A subtle click, “There,” Kaitou opened the door with a flourish, “Lead the way.”

“How?” Kudo deadpanned, “I don’t know where anything is in this house. Much less why you invited me over. I presume there’s something you had to show me.”

Kaitou shrugged, and he glanced over at his neighbor’s house - the Nakamori’s, “Yeah,” Kaitou glanced back at the tiny form of Kudo, “After all - we’re friends - right?”

Kaitou swallowed as the eyes too old for that face took in every insecurity he let show on his face.

“Yeah,” Kudo whispered, “Of course we are.”

A twitch of a smile later, and Kaitou quickly lead Kudo to the secret workshop that had only ever been shown to himself, his father - and maybe his mother.

* * *

 

A week later, there was a heist, an exposed wild animal - a Snake who had almost killed a child. Not any child, but the infamous Kid Killer. Now, the TMPD offered the boy an escort - a covert place to live while his life was still seen as being in danger from a newly uncovered criminal network.

Takagi was an easy choice - he was the one that had found him, and understandably, the child had grown quite attached to his hero.

Takagi, in the car ride home, alone with Conan - Kudo, he swore he’d never get on the boy’s bad side.

Kudo had smirked in response. What else was there to be said? The boy knew how to play a mean game of chess.

* * *

 

That evening there was a knock on the door, and Takagi had answered it quickly after checking through the peep hole, “Kuroba? Aren’t you suppose to be with -”

“Nakamori?” Kaitou raised an eyebrow, “Of course not. I mean, he’s busy with all the paperwork I caused him today,” He waved a hand with an ease that did not match the weight that he’d shoved on Takagi. He held up a gift basket, “I got an apartment next door. I figured I should introduce myself!”

He let himself in with ease, and the evening was spent reading on Takagi’s couch for Kuroba, the dinner table with files for Kudo, and the Kitchen holding up the counter for Takagi.

Perhaps - He hadn’t thought this through completely.

Aiding and abetting a thief. Hidding a teenage elementary from more then one criminal organization.

“I can’t tell Satou,” He mumbled. He let go of the counter, took a step back, and he looked at Conan through the door, “I can’t tell Satou about any of this, can I?”

Conan looked up at Takagi with a raised eyebrow. His answer was unspoken, but simple.

_ You’re just now thinking of this? _

“Don’t be rude,” Kaitou chided, “We all thought about the girl second. We can’t really blame him for being the same now can we?”

Takagi groaned, and he vanished back out of their sight into the kitchen, “How do you two like your coffee?” He moaned.

“I don’t,” Kaitou answered, “Makes me twitchy.”

“Black,” Conan chimed, “I like mine black.”

“I think that says something about you, kid,” Kaitou grumbled.

A moment later, Takagi heard a sharp cry of pain, “I will arrest either or _both_ of you for crimes performed in this house.”

“This is an apartment,” Conan sang in response.

Takagi peaked out to see Conan’s innocent child like smile shining in his direction, “I expected the thief to be the one protesting…”

The thief peeked up from over the edge of the couch, “It’s the only thing keeping  _ me _ safe at this point,” Kaitou’s voice cracked, “Why would I protest it?”

Takagi frowned, and he shook his head, “I didn’t realize I was adopting two children with this arrangement.”

Conan’s jaw dropped, and Kaitou roared with laughter.

Takagi dodged back into the kitchen, to finish making the pot of coffee, and he shook his head with the gentle dusting smile on his face.

Maybe his life had been too quiet.

Another yelp of pain, and Takagi groaned, loud and dynamic, “Conan,” He shouted.

“Kuroba’s sleeping now, Officer Takagi!” Conan shouted right back, “Careful else you wake him!”

Takagi stared into his empty coffee cup, and now the currently filling coffee pot. He pulled out his cell phone, and he quickly dialed a number. He knew when he needed his partner, and he knew life just a little bit better then a couple of teenagers that had grown up with comics, novels, and movies that were filled with lonely heros who shouldered their struggles all alone.

Takagi heard Satou’s voice on the other end after a couple of rings, “Takagi, I had a long shift today-”

A small explosion sound from the other room caused Takagi to drop his phone in surprise. He picked it back up rather quickly, he heard only the end of Satou’s question, “- Explosion?”

“Yes,” Takagi croaked, “Nothing serious.  _ I think. _ But, I need you to come over. I - I have something to explain. I have something I need to tell you… But- But first, Satou…” Takagi swallowed, “This- This isn’t how I wanted this to go, but please - please only come if - if we’re a serious thing. It’s a lot that I have to tell you - and, and I’d rather not ruin a partnership - a friendship, by telling you too much.”

There was silence on the other side.

“Satou?”

“I’m on my way, Takagi…” She whispered softly. 

“Please call before you come in. I need to tell you this somewhere where Conan can,t hear.”

“Understood.”

“Thanks,” He hung up, and he poured not one, or two, but  _ three _ cups of coffee, “Conan,” Takagi sang, “I have a cup of  _ very  _ black coffee for you now…”

* * *

 

Conan was glaring at Satou as much as he was Takagi at this point in his evening.

Takagi had slipped out of the apartment for about ten minutes - had said he’d left something in his car - just to come back with Officer Satou walking in behind him. 

After asking if Kudo or Kid needed anything - both answering and responding to the names they had expected him to use. 

Now all four of them were sitting at the small table and three of them had mugs. One member at the table had the pot. 

Conan had no shame as he drank from that pot, “I am not explaining this,” He pointed the pot at Satou, “I am not explaining anything about this.”

Satou stared at the child that was very clearly not a child, “Takagi only told me about you being here, Kudo…” She turned to Kaitou, “And you’re Kid? The infamous thief?”

Kaitou smirked, and he shrugged, “Pleasure, ma’am.”

Kudo stared at Kuroba. He knew he’d never see that face - maybe the man, but never the face - if this all went south. His eyes fought over to Satou for just a moment before resting once more on Takagi.

Takagi, who in his defense, did shuffle about in his seat uncomfortably.

“Kudo,” Satou whispered, “You know the police can help you…” She glanced at Takagi, and Kuroba’s snort was a hard bitter irony.

“Oh?” He whispered. He leaned forward, propped up on his arms so he could get even closer to the detective counter him, “You don’t believe Takagi’s story. Or rather that the brat is in fact the vanished teen detective. It’s been years now hasn’t it?”

“Two,” Conan whispered. He pushed his chair away from the table, and he stood, leaving his pot of coffee behind, “And that’s long enough to be tired of-” He looked at Takagi, and he shook his head, “I thought I-”

Kuroba followed suit. Only Conan noticed the small pink orb that had slid into the magician’s hand.

“It doesn’t matter,” Conan whispered. He shook his head at Kuroba, and the pink orb vanished back up the sleeve, “You’re right, Satou - _I should just_ -”

“I trust him,” Takagi whispered. It was sharp, and it cut through Kudo’s sarcasm.

Satou’s sharp gaze turned to Takagi in surprise, “What?”

“Well - I didn’t bring you here to reveal his secrets,” Takagi shrugged, “Just mine. I’m harboring a thief, and I know that the boy that I have taken into my house may lead me into enough trouble to get me killed.”

Satou’s gaze softened, “And is that all?”

Takagi didn’t look away from his partner, “I’ve already said I love you, Miwako. Shouldn’t I let you know that I’m putting my life in danger?”

Satou smirked, and she stood, “Damn straight,” She answered him. She pointed at Takagi, “You got this covered?”

“O-of course.”

“Good.” She set down her mug after realizing she’d never let the caffeine go, “Thanks for the coffee, Wataru.”

He stood, “Let me see you to your car…”

She smirked, “I think - I think I would like that.”

“Oh - get a room,” Kaitou grumbled before flowing - Kudo had no other description for the thief’s movement - back to his spot on the couch.

Wataru and Satou’s faces caught a beat red, “Well,” Conan shrugged, “I think, Kid here can watch me for the night if that is something you two do decide on doing…” Conan jumped from his seat, and he quickly pulled out a phone and a bow tie from his pocket, “I’m going to go lock myself in the bathroom, Kid.”

“Have fun talking to Ran,” Kid mumbled. Conan rolled his eyes, but he smirked. Maybe it would be something to save the day. Or it would be another hour of him hearing about the new guy...

* * *

 

Satou put an arm around Takagi’s neck as the door swung shut beind them, “Drinks?” She asked.

“Drinks,” He agreed.

“Think if I have enough of them I’ll forget any of this happened?”

“Want to?”

“Kinda,” She admitted with a shrug, “But, I’m glad you told me…”

Takagi’s blush was the only response he could form, “I- I love you, Miwako.”

She kissed him lightly on the cheek, “It shows,” She told him, “But if you’re going to be watching my silver bullet - then you’ll have to be more careful, Officer…”

It was the sharp bite of a taser that eased him to his sleep.

* * *

 

There was a knock to the door, and Kaitou raised an eyebrow. He pulled out his phone, and he sent Conan a quick text.  _ Alarm. _

A buzz back,  _ Noted. _

Conan peaked out from around a corner, and Kaitou edged towards the door.

Then Kudo’s phone started to buzz, “It’s a phone call,” He grumbled. He quickly took it, put it on speaker, “Yes?”

“You should really check your phones, Shinichi. You sound like Conan-”

“Vermouth. I have you on caller ID at this point. I don’t need to use the voice modulator.”

“Then open your damn door already, I can’t hold Takagi up all day.”

Kaitou’s eyes turned to saucers as he realized, and Conan could only stare at the phone in his hand as Kaitou dived to do exactly as the Alcohol requested.

They saw Satou looking up at them with Takagi on her shoulder, “So,” She grumbled as she struggled to bring the grown man inside. Kaitou closed the door behind her, “Good man to cover with,” Vermouth grumbled as she dropped him on the couch, “Just - Fix their damn phones, Conan. You got lucky. _You know we have people in the police._ ”

* * *

 

“So,” Kaitou purred as the two teen boys stared at the still sleeping man on the couch. Vermouth had already vanished, “Do I need one new disguise, or should I make one for you as well, Meitantei?”

Kudo shrugged, “We have a complicated relationship, me and Vermouth.”

“Shouldn’t be an addict at your age. Ruin your liver and so much more…” Kuroba grumbled on autopilot.

“And one would normally say that Snakes are animals to avoid for obvious reasons, yet you just keep flirting with that one.”

“I wouldn’t say  _ flirting _ persay. I mean,  _ he  _ did in fact kill my father…”

“I’m sorry,” Kudo whispered, “I didn’t know.”

“I didn’t tell you.” Kaitou watched the young form next to him. Kudo looked up at him, “So,” Kaitou whispered, “One disguise or two?”

Kudo smirked, “You know you’re not making either.”

“Fair enough. My contract for my lease is at least six months after all.”

“It’s already been two years. For both of us.”

“I am a hopeful guy.”

“I’m glad one of us can still claim that.”

“So am I,” Takagi groaned.

“Damn it!” Kuroba hissed, “Why are you always listening when we think you aren’t?”

“It’s a gift?” Takagi mumbled with a shrug. He shuffled into a more comfortable position on the couch, “Now - You two can use my bed or something. I’m sleeping here. This officer is done for the day.”

Conan and Kuroba exchanged a look. Kaitou raised his hands, “I have a fully furnished apartment next door-”

“Stop lying about that, Kid. I know the numbers this landlord runs. There’s no way a brat out of high school can afford that spot.”

Kaitou frowned, “I have my methods-”

“Stop arguing. Go there, stay here - go to the Nakamori’s or wherever you lived before now. I am not interested. I’m going to sleep- See you in the morning.”

Kaitou sighed, “So, Kudo,” He whispered.

“I’ll sleep on the floor next to the couch and you can do whatever you want. I have some connections to follow up on now that I know Vermouth can redirect Takagi’s calls… Unless she’s been Satou all along. I’m going to have to figure that out.”

“Agh,” Takagi moaned, “If you could not talk about what just happened - that would definitely help me sleep,” He sat up and frowned at the two boys in front of him, “I’ve been talking too much. Do either of you - Conan do you want coffee?”

“Absolutely,” Conan said with a nod.

Takagi nodded as well, “Got it. Let me go make you some.”

“What about yourself?” Kaitou asked.

“I find making coffee relaxing- and highly distracting. Not so much drinking it,” He mumbled, “Do you want hot chocolate or something, Kid?”

“Find that relaxing as well?” Kaitou asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah,” Takagi mumbled, “Something like that anyways…”

Takagi stopped in the doorway, and he turned to watch Kaitou and Kudo poor over the files at the dinner table that Kudo was slowly pulling out and sorting, “Say,” He blurted out. Both looked up at him, “Is- Is this what it’s going to be like?”

Kudo smirked, “Something like that.”

Takagi smirked back, and he closed his eyes, “I think I’ll get some coffee as well. Do you mind if I see the details of what you’ve gotten me into?”

“I mean,” Kudo rubbed the back of his neck, “Can’t really say that it will put you at risk of more death…”

“Maybe torture,” Kaitou casually pointed out to Kudo.

“Fair enough,” Kudo agreed. He looked at Takagi and he opened his mouth.

Takagi’s laughter cut him off, “As if they’ll believe my innocence?” He shook his head, and he yawned, “Coffee. I feel like this is going to be a long night of playing catch up…”

Kaitou smirked.

“It’s only two years,” Conan grumbled. He stared at the folders in his hands, “How complicated could it get?”

“I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or serious without looking at you, Kudo. Can someone please tell me which one it is?”

Kaitou’s laughter was a chime of well rehearsed practice, “He’s serious, Officer Takagi, but he just thinks different then us mere mortals anyways-”

“Says the man that mutters heist details in his sleep.”

“Doesn’t everyone plan those in their sleep?”

Takagi decided he wasn’t making enough coffee to keep up with these two and the lives he’d let himself get dragged into. 

But then again he doubted that there was enough coffee on planet earth to compensate for that. So, instead he smirked, and he stared at the empty mug in his hand. 

_ They trusted me. _ He realized, and for some reason that sent a flutter in his chest. He pulled the creamer out of the fridge, and he stopped to listen to the laughter in the other room.

It was Conan’s voice. It was rough and sudden - a volatile reaction to something Kid must have said or done.

… When was the last time he’d heard something like that from the apparent kid?

Takagi sighed with a breath he hadn’t been physically holding.

He knew he wouldn’t keep up with Kudo and his schemes. He knew he didn’t want to keep up with Kaitou Kid’s. 

But the laughter in the other room. He gave them that.

And, even as his hand went to the sore stomach on his chest from where the taser had made contact, he knew the truth of his decision. He knew that he’d made the right choice letting them into his house.

Takagi laughed at the odd situation he’d gotten into, but, in an odd sense of relief for the bachelor, the boys couldn’t hear him over their own. And that? Was just fine in his opinion.


	2. Day Two - Or The Story of How Satou Finds Out After All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was a very weird day - and it was only the second one with Takagi and the new kids.
> 
> Satou - was honestly not expecting any of this to happen...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wasn't planning on continuing this, but I'm still struggling with writer's block. And there's still a lack of this sort of fic on this site. So here's to another installment of this weird, weird thing...
> 
> ... I also wasn't sure about how to best present this - and again- I wasn't planning on continuing this, but I have an idea for a third chapter, and it's definitely flowing as more of one narrative then originally intended.
> 
> Or aka. I have no idea what I'm doing. Please forgive me. I'm just rolling with my stupids - and I would be humbled and flattered if you went right along with me on this. 
> 
> Thank you.

* * *

 

Takagi awoke on his couch to find Conan lying on his chest. He smiled. His smile faded as he remembered that there was - more to the boy then his face, “Ku-Kudo?” He stammered.

Kudo rubbed his eyes, and he looked up at Takagi.

They stared. Eyes not pulling away.

“Kuroba?” Tagaki whispered.

“Yes?” Kuroba asked from the loft chair beside them.

Their eyes turned to the voice.

Kuroba smirked, “If this was America - I would plead the fifth.”

* * *

 

Takagi stood the door, and he stared at Kudo and Kuroba. He had his jacket, and he had his brief case, “You two really expect me to leave you alone here?”

“Well,” Kuroba purred, “Our dear little Conan here,” Kuroba tried to pull the boy closer as he ruffled the boy’s hair - tried and failed in part, “Is - is in witness protection. He can’t really keep attending school…”

Takagi raised an eyebrow at Kuroba, “And you don’t have a job?”

Kuroba shrugged, “It’s all online - contract work.”

“Oh?” Kudo raised an eyebrow.

Kuroba smirked, “Yeah. I do computer security work.”

Takagi groaned, “Of course.”

Kaitou shrugged, “I mean - It’s all done through a third party. It’s completely anonymous on my part. Pays well as well.” He pulled a key out of his pocket, “So I can either go home,” He waved the key, “ _Next door._ Or - I can work with Kudo on figuring out what exactly he needs know that I and he are on the same page.”

“Like I need anything-”

“You _just_ \- _You just brought in Snake._ Like hell I’m not helping out.”

Kudo shrugged, “Well, here’s to hoping you still have a house by the end of the day, Officer.”

Tagaki swallowed, “Y-Yeah. About that- I don’t -”

Kuroba and Kudo blinked as they watched Tagaki stammer, “Oh god,” Kudo muttered.

“We’ll really behave,” Kuroba answered, “We can pinky-”

Tagaki frowned, swung the door open, and slammed it behind him.

Kudo laughed lightly as he walked back to the folders on the dining room table, “He’s fine, Kuroba.”

Kuroba shrugged, “We never did figure out when Vermouth took over for Satou…” He mumbled as he found his spot back at the table as well, “Do you think that might be bothering him?”

Kudo sighed, “Would it bother you?”

Kaitou shrugged uncomfortably, it seemed far more akin to an attempt to shrug off the concerns then anything else, “I mean, me and Aoko are hardly on comfortable terms. At this point… It would seem less of a surprise then it should be actually.”

Kudo’s forehead fumped on the edge of the table, “I’ve known Satou since the beginning… Vermouth even helped pair them up. There’s no way - _none_ \- that they are, indeed, the same person. Is there?”

Kaitou sighed, “No way of knowing,” He leaned in with a smirk, “Unless - we find Vermouth for ourselves.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“Got a better idea?”

“ _Literally any_ you mean?”

Kaitou shrugged, “I mean - I don’t here you coming up with any answers of your own to your questions,” He pulled out his monocle and settled it on his face, “I have a friend who knows a guy that has a friend who's an inventor-”

“Wait,” Kudo straightened up, “You mean _that_ wasn’t for a cosplayer!? You mean - _Agase_ actually-” Kudo stared at Kaitou, “You bugged her. You bugged her didn’t you?”

“You took all the flair out of reveal- but yes. I put a tracer on Vermouth - _and it is moving_.”

* * *

 

Tagaki stood in front of Satou’s desk, and he stared at Satou.

Satou looked up him, “Yes?” She asked with a raised eyebrow, “I’m filing a report, Officer. Is there something I can do for you?”

Tagaki frowned.

“Tagaki,” She gritted her teeth, “If you have something to say-”

“I don’t.”

She stared at him with a new found look of curiosity. Much like someone who had a pizza delivery man asking for directions to the house he was standing at, “Then - perhaps-”

“Yes. We have patrol today, but this-” He swallowed. He glanced around. He found a chair, and he pulled over to her desk. He sat, and he stared at her. He folded his hands, and she stared right back at him with her lack of eagerness behind this managing to fade even more with every second.

“Wataru,” She whispered, “Can you please go to your desk now?”

“Are you going to tase me again if I don’t?” He whispered back.

That took her back, and the surprised confusion had Tagaki on his feet within a moment.

“I-” Wataru said, “I will see you later. Are we still on for lunch before our afternoon patrol?”

“Yes?”

Tagaki saluted, and Satou was left staring at the strange man that she would never want out of her life.

* * *

 

“So,” Kudo whispered. He stood, pinned between Kaitou’s legs and the brick wall as they peered around the corner, “This is where your tracer went?”

Kaitou frowned at Kudo, “Shut up.”

“Well. Never mind my addiction-”

“Shut up, brat.”

Kudo shrugged, “I mean -”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it - She’s a bit more -”

“Kaito - That’s a Kaitou Kid fan shop. Next to a liquor store - and _there is a zoo across the street._ How does this even happen?”

“I need to start suing,” Kuroba mumbled, “I don’t get paid for that merchandise.”

Kudo smirked, and Kaitou was too busy frowning at the store that was at the end of their rainbow of a tracker to look down to notice that fact.

“What do you think is inside?” Kaitou whispered, “Do you think she might be...?”

“Maybe.” Kudo admitted. His smirk faded for a moment, “Do you want to go inside to check? I mean - who knows what they sell inside there.”

“Brat-” Kaitou hissed, “I think I see something with the Kid Killer-”

“We need to beat down that front door. I am suing enough for the both of us.”

* * *

 

Satou and Takagi were sitting in silence at the small cafe.

Satou swirled her spoon around in her coffee.

Takagi struggled to keep his eyes off of her.

Satou only kept her eyes on him.

“So,” She said shattering his attempt at silence, “Want to explained what happened earlier?”

Takagi shrugged, “It’s fine.” He glanced at her and a slight red brushed his cheeks, “It’s all sorted out now,” His shoulders relaxed, his stiffness eased away, “I’m surprised you ordered the breakfast sandwhich here for lunch.”

“It’s the only good thing on the menu from my experience.”

“Then why ask that we come here?”

“Why do are taking an offense at the breakfast sandwich?” She cooed.

He smirked, “You just seemed like the girl that would only eat certain foods at their certain time of day,” He answered.

“You didn’t order the breakfast sandwich…” She pointed out, “It’s the only good thing.”

He ran his fingers over his face, “Agh.”

* * *

 

Kaitou stood in the checkout line with Kudo weakly kicking his legs, “Traitor,” He mumbled over and over again.

Kaitou glared down at the tiny boy, “It’s not my fault.” He held up the hoodie in his arms, “Do you see this design? Do you? How could I not?”

Kudo’s forehead fumped on Kaitou’s thigh, “Traitor,” He screamed.

“Oh hush,” Kaitou rolled his eyes, “I have the matching Kid Killer design in your size.”

“That’s - That’s not helping.”

* * *

 

Takagi sat in the patrol car as Satou drove. They were looping in circles, following their route, and Satou kept glancing at Takagi as he kept shuffling about his seat. His seatbelt seemed to be bitting into him, but it had never given him problems before, “Wataru- Are you okay?” She asked softly.

He stilled, and he smiled, “We’re alone without any prying eyes. Of course I’m fine, Miwako.”

* * *

 

“Well,” Kudo frowned on the park bench. He was wearing the deco punk style that was the current theme that Kaitou Kid merch had him represented in, “That was surprisingly a dud-”

“No,” Kaitou snapped - in his own matching hoodie, “No it was not.” He pulled a card out of his pocket and held it up to Kudo, “Please tell me you just didn’t notice the one in yours…”

Kudo frowned at the gibberish that was being pushed into his face, and his hands went into his own pocket. His eyes widened as his fingers brushed against paper.

“Now,” Kaitou smirked, “Who wants to bet this is code for something from a certain someone.”

Kudo frowned, “I swear if this is another freakin’ recipe for a new style of the Silver Bullet.”

“What?” Kaitou raised an eyebrow.

Kudo glared at him, “I said - we - Vermouth and I - have a complicated relationship, didn’t I? At least having a drinking after me isn’t code for some sort of recruitment.” His frowned deepened, “She has a horrible sense of humor, Kaito.”

Kaitou swallowed, “It sounds like it.” A slight beep came from Conan’s pocket, “The Detective Badge?” He whispered.

Conan nodded. He pulled it out, and they leaned into listen to it.

* * *

 

Satou had her gun held out in front of her, and a man with silver hair had his gun pointed at Takagi. Takagi’s gun was cast to the side. He’d been surprised to see the man, or terrified by the sight the man’s own gun like an officer on the first day of the force.

Or like a homicide officer that wasn’t use to watching a case unfold in front of him. There was already a corpse in the alleyway after all.

The man in front of them was busy mocking him with exactly that point of view of the circumstances.

Satou knew Wataru though. She knew he’d tried to stop her from following the man dressed in a black trench coat. She knew the tremble in his hands didn’t come from the fret of death. He knew something about this man - and the man didn’t know that he knew.

 _Conan._ She realized. _It has to do with the Conan case. Takagi had been on the spot to save Conan too quickly.  Like he knew where to be beforehand. There really was something more to it._

“Drop the gun.” Satou purred.

Takagi swallowed, “He’s not going to do that…” He whispered softly.

The man smiled, “He knows me well.”

Takagi’s eyes flittered about - as if he was expecting someone else to show up, “If only we had backup…” He grumbled.

The man with silver hair frowned, “What’s in your hand?”

“You mean pocket?” Takagi answered quickly, helpfully. He raised an eyebrow, and he pulled his hand out of his pocket. His and pulled his pocket inside out revealing only his keys, “Nothing,” He answered softly, “How long is this stand off going to last?”

Kudo had his phone out in a heartbeat. Number pulled up and quickly connected, “Jodie-sensei. I have an officer - I need help.”

A woman with silver hair stepped out of the shadows from behind Takagi, and Satou didn’t like the way she rested on him as easily as a blanket on a person, “Come, come, Gin. I told you I had a tonic I was forming in my pocket…” She purred. Takagi froze as her breath tickled against his ear. He turned his face slowly so he could see the speaker.

“You-” He breathed.

Satou’s gun wavered, “Takagi,” She whispered, “What’s going on?”

The woman bit Takagi’s ear with a playful smirk, “Nothing for you to be jealous of,” She whispered after a moment.

Takagi pushed her away after his heart attack pushed him back into his sense.

“Oi - Vermouth,” He hissed. He glanced at Satou, “Not - Can this wait?” He glanced at the man, “I mean, we already have one-” His eyes flickered to the corpse behind the other person in black, “Loose end to clean up. I don’t want to-”

Her finger brushed against his lips, “Don’t fret, boy,” She whispered. He pressed his lips together, and he glanced at Satou.

The fear in them swallowed her. Her gun slipped slightly.

Vermouth’s eyes met the strangers, “She’s his lover - even if you lost someone-”

The man frowned, “This is why we don’t have deep cover agents in agencies like theirs.” He glared at Satou, “ _I don’t like leaving loose ends, Vermouth._ ”

He glanced over and Vermouth was gone. There was a cold brush of metal against the back of his head.

“A secret makes a woman woman, no?” The newcomer whispered.

“Jodie,” Takagi took a deep breath. He relaxed, “How did you get here so quickly?”

“You’re right beside the school I’m currently working at,” She frowned, and she jabbed the man at the base of his school, “Is there a reason for that?”

The man suddenly collapsed.

Jodie stared at the crumpled form in front of her, “Of course they’d have that trick…”

Satou didn’t pull her gun away from the man, “What trick?” She asked.

Jodie bent down and she check his pulse, “He’s gone. Most likely a suicide pill. Fake tooth. Shattered it.” She holstered her own gun, and she looked up at Takagi, “Cool kid invited me to this. I presume, I’m free to leave?”

Takagi nodded, and Satou stared at her partner.

Takagi glanced at Satou, and he swallowed, “It was - uh - a pleasure, Jodie-sensei.”

Jodie shrugged, “Tell Cool Kid the same then. He always has the best leads,” She started patting all of the downed villain, “Tell him I’ll let him know about anything I have to pass on.”

Takagi glanced at Satou, and he swallowed, “Uh.” He whispered, “That I can do.”

* * *

 

Kaitou glanced at Kudo, “So?”

“Did Takagi just join the Bar? I think - I think he did? I think we have something we can never let him live it down.”

Kaitou’s laughter ripped through the air, “Indeed,” He managed.

* * *

 

“So,” Satou tapped the steering wheel as she started to drive them home, “Wanna explain what we just went through?”

Takagi swallowed, “Not really. But you’re going to want me to anyways, aren’t you?”

Satou glanced and glared at Takagi.

“I figured as much,” He whispered with a glance out the window, “Lets go to my house. It will give us some where alone to talk?”

His phone buzzed, and he checked his messages, “Or - Uh, The Kudo house. The Kudo house is clear of bugs…”

Satou paled, and she glanced at Takagi, “Who sent that-”

“You don’t want to know.”

“Takagi-”

“Kaitou Kid.”

“Who - What- “

“I don’t know,” Takagi answered, “I don’t know what’s happened to my life either.”


	3. Not ever chapter can have a snarky title? Next chapter props will though

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda feel bad that Takagi only gets attention when I'm trying to fend off writer's block - but some sort attention is better then no attention right? 
> 
> It's better then when he gets Vermouth's attention anyways, right?

“YOU TOLD THEM TO GO WHERE?” Kudo kicked at Kaitou’s shin, but as expected the theif was out of reach long before it could ever have connected.

“I mean -” Kaitou scratched his chin, “I know for a fact there isn't any tampering there-”

“Okiya Subaru is living there right now, you idiot,” Kudo hissed.

“Oh,” Kaitou managed weakly, “Well- Does he know-”

Kudo slammed his face into his forehead and he groaned, “I mean - what part are you talking about? He knows who I am - despite my best efforts! And he knows all about the Bar and the Zoo - ‘Cause ya know - he was a mole in em for the FBI-

“What? Could you run that-”

“Agh. I left him out of the debriefing last night for a reason,” Kudo moaned as he flumpled his head into Kaito, “Why?” Kudo kept up his moaning, “Why did you -”

“ _ You left him out of the debriefing. How could I have known? And could you stop with the noise - ya gonna get the cops called on us. You still look like your seven to the rest of the world -  _ Conan.”

* * *

 

Ten minutes Kudos phone buzzed. He raised an eyebrow at Takagi's number, “Eh,” Takagi managed over the phone line , “Hpw do I get in?”

“Go to Agasa’s!” Kudo let out just with a tiny bit more excitement then Takagi had expected, “Its right next -” 

“I know,” Takagi stuttered, “I’ve dropped you off there before,  _ Conan _ …”

“... Fair enough point,” Kudo admitted, “Eh - Actually. Avoid there.”

“Why?”

“I haven’t told Haibara that you know,” Conan grumbled, “And - That might go rather poorly there.”

“So am I going to the Kudo house, Agasa’s or?”

“Ekoda? Do you think you could go over to Ekoda?”’

“Kuroba’s place?” Takagi rubbed the bridge of his nose, “Yes. Fine. I can do that.”

Kudo pocketed the phone, and he looked up at Kaitou who had a wicked smirk on his face.

“Guess who can break out their mother’s bar to make a lame weak joke?” He pointed at himself, “I can. We’re meeting them there, eh, Kudo?”

Kudo rubbed the bridge of his nose, “I don’t know how we’ll beat them there-”

“I have my ways.”

“Oh god,” Kudo’s breath caught in his chest, “I don’t like heights, Kaitou. I’ve been thrown out of too many airplanes.”

Kaitou shrugged, “Use your watch to deal with it then. I mean, it’ll hardly be the first time you’ve managed to use it on yourself.”

Kudo glared at Kaitou, “Unfair. That was not fair, brat.”

Kaitou ruffled Kudo’s hair, and that mixed with a smirk was more then answer enough to their snark responses, “I prefer to be called a kid over a brat, but you’re message was not missed, Tantei-kun.”

Kaitou pulled back his hand slowly as he stared at the pint size detective, and he sighed, “It’s been so long,” He admitted, “Since I’ve been able to joke without feeling like I’m dying on the inside.”

A soft smile rested on Kudo’s face as he heard the admission, “Yeah,” He whispered, “It’s nice to be real for once.” He looked up at Kaitou, and he held his arms up so Kaitou could pick his small form up, “Well,” He whispered as Kaitou did so, “Let's take this freedom and make it just a hair more real? Time to fly?”

Kaitou laughed, “Yeah,” He admitted, “I’ll help you soar, Tantei-kun. Maybe this time you’ll just feel the freedom rather then the risk of it?”

Kudo’s laugh was rusty, “So many folded meanings in that - in the way you twisted those phrases about.”

Kaitou shrugged, “But - It’s true.”

“Fair enough point,” Kudo whispered.

“Even the first time Aoko screamed at me - after she found out - I flew in response. It never felt like I was crashing. It was - It was the only way I could get to where I wanted to be. It was the wind blowing my weights away from me.”

“That sounds beautiful.”

“Yeah,” Kaitou whispered, “Maybe it’s not all bad being a phantom thief.”

“You thought it had it’s flaws?”

Kaitou laughed, and it was full and robust in a way that Kudo hadn’t really expected from his sarcastic statement, “That’s one way of putting it,” Kaitou whispered, “That is most certainly one way of putting it.”

* * *

 

Aoko knew Kuroba Kaito, or at least, she thinks that at least she use to.

Maybe she did, but then she found out that he wasn’t just Kuroba Kaito.

It was one year to the hour that she’d found him in that closet. He’d been shot. There was a sniper attacking Kid at his heists, and Kid had taken on for her father.

So she chased after him.

And, this last year had been a year of only knowing what a heart felt like after a betrayal. 

She had told him in her anger about how she loved him.

He had taken it in silence. All in silence. Once she started wrapping his shoulder - then he’d whispered a simple apology.

“Are you going to stop?” She had answered back.

“What are you going to do if I say ‘no’, Aoko?” His voice lost the warmth she’d always known it to have. It was a hollow shell of her friend - her crush.

It broke her to hear him that way, “Why are you doing it?”

She could hear herself asking that question to this day.

It was one that he hadn’t answered.

The next day - She had told Hakuba that she would go out with him.

“I’ll stop dating him once you tell me the truth.”

Aoko couldn’t take those horrible words back, but Kaito was still Kid. He still went out behind the backs of all the ones he loved to steal gems that he never kept. She had come to the conclusion that maybe he was looking for something, but it might have also been a someone considering the snippers.

“I know my dad would help you.” She had whispered tying of the makeshift bandage.

That statement had chilled the air even more, and she hadn’t thought that to be possible.

She hit herself in the forehead. She still lived in that moment. She had yet to move past it. She wanted to, but she was afraid that in moving past it she would move past Kuroba.

She looked up from her spot on Kuroba’s steps. 

She hadn’t seen him come home. She always saw him come home, or she saw him through her window wandering in and out of his room. That was one of the perks of being a neighbor after all. She always saw him.

Except last night. She hadn’t seen him since the botched heist, and her father hadn’t come home either with the arrest that they’d made. Apparently they were uncovering quite a bit? She could only guess after all. She hadn’t seen her father - or Hakuba since the arrest had been made.

Kaitou had gotten away though. 

She had seen him smirking at the cowering Conan who had been hiding behind Takagi’s legs.

She swore the kid looked exactly the same as he did when she first met him. It was hard to believe he was growing up.

She sighed. Like it mattered. She watched as the cars rolled by.

She just wanted to see Kaito. Or even Kaitou. She needed her friend. She still loved him.

Then a car pulled up into Kuroba’s driveway. Aoko was surprised to recognize the driver.

She stood up as Takagi and Satou approached the house.

“Eh?” Takagi stuttered, “Aoko-san?” He asked, “What are you doing here?”

“Shit.” She heard the soft whisper behind her, and she turned. She stared at the door.

“Takagi-Keiji,” She whispered, “Were you here to met up with Kaito?”

“No?” He whispered softly.

“Then did he give you a key to get in?” She answered. Her eyes still had yet to look away from the door.

“Uh-”

“Don’t answer that. He changed the locks a year ago. I’m sure he doesn’t have any keys now.”

The door softly swung open to reveal Kuroba standing in the way, “Hey, Aoko,” He whispered.

“Oh,” Takagi whispered. He remembered the conversations he’d over heard.

Kaitou glared at Takagi as he realized that perhaps heard more conversations then he and Kudo had wanted - although had they at the beginning thought of letting Takagi hear any of the conversations, they wouldn’t have wanted him to hear any of them.

Aoko ignored the two men’s slightly - whatever it was - “Kaito,” She whispered, “I knocked hours ago.”

“No. You didn’t.”

“How would you know?” She whispered, “You weren’t here.”

“Were you in my house to discover that?”

She shook her head, “I’m not the-”

“Please,” Kuroba whispered, “Just lease, Aoko. You have Hakuba, and Akako. You have normal friends. Be with them.”

Aoko rubbed the bridge of her nose, “And you think you’ll be better off spending the afternoon with -”

“Aoko,” Takagi whispered, “I assure you - it’s safer for you this way.”

Aoko turned and she stared at Takagi, “Of course he’s told you why,” She pulled her arms close and she hugged herself.

Takagi shook his head, “Actually, I’m the one whose dragged him into a fair bit of trouble… I don’t know what he’d have to keep from you on his own, but… I know my problem is why - well you were at the heist yesterday. Has your father managed to come home yet?”

She shook her head, and she slowly started to walk away, “He’s right, Officer. I do have normal friends. Ones that care about me. Honest people,” She glanced back, and her eyes met Kuroba’s, “Good people.”

“Yeah,” Kuroba breathed, “You do.”

Takagi watched her swallow, but she wouldn’t shed tears again. Not in front of a pair of strangers, “Have a good night, Kuroba,” She whispered.

“That’s not what you really want to say,” He said with a frown.

She sneered at him in response, “You’re right, but I’m a better person then an honest one.”

He smirked, “Good,” He whispered, “Stay safe, Aoko.”

“Get arrested, Kid,” She growled, “I’m done caring.”

* * *

 

“Why haven’t you told her?” Takagi asked as the door closed behind himself and Satou.

Kaitou shrugged, “You’re working on the bar case with Kudo - not the Zoo. There are parts of my world that are - that are best undiscussed.”

“Like what?” Satou raised an eyebrow, “I am under the impression that you are Kaitou Kid, correct?”

Kaitou smirked, and he leaned back on the wall, “And do you know, dear officer, know what you’re about to walk into?”

Satou frowned at the comment, “Clearly Takagi has some explaining to do - but Cool Kid even more…”

“Cool guy,” Conan strolled out dramatically with the simple correction, “I prefer being called Cool Guy at this point.”

“Vermouth?” Kaitou glanced over at the tiny form. Satou froze at the name she’d heard less then an hour earlier.

Conan shrugged on his way back the way he came in, “I told you,” He stated simply, “We have a complicated relationship.”

Satou glanced at Takagi, “Wataru?” She whispered.

“I - I might have gotten tangled up in a series of unfortunate events.”

“Not enough events for a miniseries, right?” She whispered.

“Eh,” Takagi managed as he followed after Kaitou and Kudo, “Well - I would imagine that this set of problems could be solved before you hit the hundred episode mark - but honestly, I don’t know anymore at this point.”

“You know how to be-” Satou stared at Kaitou as he stood behind his kitchen island in a completely different wardrobe with Conan sat on the counter in a matching suit as well. Both seemed like they would fit in with the staff of a high class restraunt next to the bottles of booze that decorated the counter, “What are you two?” She stared at the bottles relucantly - clearly not missing the bottle of Vermouth set in the center, “A pair of bartenders?”

She wasn’t looking at Takagi to see him go a shade pale, and she didn’t look up right away to see Kaitou’s smirk as he answered, “Nah,” He waved the comment aside, “But I figured since your boy friend is now a part of our Bar - we should cheer over something. So I cracked out the good stuff.”

“I’m never going to live this down am I?”

“Hey,” Conan raised his hands, “As long as this Satou isn’t Vermouth as well - Probably for quite sometime.”

“Takagi,” Satou whispered with a sidelong glance at her partner’s direction, “I think it’s time you explained to me just what is happening.”

“Yeah,” Takagi rubbed the back of his head, “Though I think I need another run through of what’s going on myself.”

Conan laughed, and Kaitou started making the drinks, “Here then,” He said with a smile, “Let’s do exactly that for ya, Takagi. Does Satou-Keiji know that this knowledge will risk her life and limp though?”

“It most certainly seems illegal at this point,” She grumbled.

Kuroba smirked, “Indeed. I would suppose exactly that. Do you want the international thief to explain then? Or would you rather hear it from Kudo Shinichi?”

Satou’s eyes widened, and she started looking for the teen detective, “It’s been years since I’ve seen him-”

“No,” Takagi whispered. He took the single drink that Kaitou had ready on the counter. Conan jumped off of the counter, and he looked up at Satou, “It hasn’t, Satou.”

“What do you mean?” Satou asked. She hadn’t given Conan a second look.

“I’ve been killed a couple times at this point,” Conan purred, “I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t recognize me at this point honestly.”

Satou stared at Conan, but then she looked up at Takagi, “You really believe this?” She asked.

Takagi glanced at Satou from over the rim of the drink he was sipping. He rubbed his ear with his unused hand. He gently set the glass down, and he lifted the hem of his shirt to reveal the bruising from the taser, “I mean, if this is what a singular encounter with Vermouth leaves me with…” He shrugged, and he took another sip, “I don’t see a reason not to.”

“You believed it long before that,” Kaitou chided as he refilled Takagi's glass.

“Well,” Takagi shrugged, “I mean, it’s not every day you hear a kid tell an adult that they had to let a girl go - eh much less in the setting I did?”

“So,” Kudo panned, “That’s when you found out…”

Takagi shrugged, and he looked at Satou, “No one will judge you if you decide to walk out now. You don’t need to be dragged into this.”

Satou nodded, “I’ll drive myself home then.”

Takagi smirked, but he nodded knowingly, “Are we still on for Saturday?” He whispered tentatively.

“Yes,” She answered, “I just - I trust you to handle this one on your own. I’m just not ready for this, Wataru…”

“Not much you could do with it anyways,” Kudo shrugged.

Satou glared at him, but Takagi put a hand on her shoulder, “Jodie-sensei was an American,” He whispered softly.

“It’s international?” Satou whispered, “The crew affiliated with Snake and Vermouth?”

Takagi nodded.

Satou sighed, “Beika use to a calm neighborhood.”

* * *

Aoko felt a buzz in her pocket, and she pulled out her phone. 

_ Mouri Ran. _

It was the girl she met yesterday at the heist - the one who had lost the Kid Killer in the chaos of what had started as a typical Kid Heist.

They had met - and traded numbers before all the chaos had hit.

She opened up the message.

_ Your father works on the taskforce, right? _

**Yes,** Aoko frowned as she answered quickly.

_ Do you think we could meet up sometime? _

Aoko chewed on her lip for a moment before she quickly typed in her answer,  **Yeah. Should I ask why now? Or should I wait for tomorrow?**

_ I don’t really want to say over a phone line. I’m sorry. _

**It’s okay. Why afraid of that though?**

_ I’m sorry - They took Conan into witness protection. I’ve been paranoid ever since. I’m sorry. _

“Oh,” Aoko whispered.  **I’m sorry,** She quickly typed so Ran would hear her,  **That makes sense though. When and where?**

_ There’s a cafe under my father’s agency. Would 11 work for you? _

**Sounds perfect to me.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I wasn't planning on expanding this fic at all - Here's a Ran Chapter to fix and properly set up for the next. Covering my bases hoi. Gotta flesh out that background yo.
> 
> Also Serious Chapter? Again? Gonna fix this back to a focus on the weird and over the top next chapter if the ending of this one doesn't make that clear enough on it's own. So enjoy? I hope.

**Four Months Earlier.**

Ran held a tender photo in her hand. It was two years old. It was Kudo Shinichi and her self in Tropical Land. It was the last time she’d seen him without him trying to run off with his hand to his chest or any sort of contrivated suddenness.

Or well, she thought with a smirk, perhaps it had been the first time that such had happened.

Ran wasn’t a detective - that was what she always told Kudo and Conan.

But she had grown as a person over those years. She’d have to having lost the man that might as well have been attached to her hip or as her right arm. She couldn’t depend on him for everything, and with a case as tough as the one that kept him from her? She had decided that if she was going to help then -

There was a sharp tug at her sleeve. Conan always did that when she had tears running down her face. It always seemed to happen when she was looking at this photo.

Her right hand went to her cheek. Her deduction was solid. Her hand was wet, and her smile as such was weak. Her gaze shifted from the absent minded visual confirmation of her hand to the boy beside her chair, “Yes, Conan?” She whispered.

“Why?” His voice cracked, “Why do you keep thinking about someone? It doesn’t seem to be making you any happier.”

She ruffled his hair. Kids they’d never understand that absence can in fact make the heart grow fonder. She knew her Heisei Holmes, and she knew without a doubt that even after two years that he’d get the upper hand of the villains that alluded him. There was, after all, only one truth, and that truth in her heart was her utmost confidence in him.

After all - that was her truth. She had already flirted with other men. She’d even managed to sneak out on some dates without even Sonoko’s knowing.

And she, as the grown woman that such pain had changed her into before even hitting her twenties, had decided that - even with the lies and the trickery that Kudo had to have performed to keep her in the dark about exactly what sort of a case he had mixed himself up in - she would simply have to trust in him. That he wasn’t trying to hurt her. That he was really in such a messed up case that years were what it had claimed from him - and grades and friends and so many other normalities. She had after all followed up on his graduation plans with her teachers.

It had taken up til yesterday for them to tell her, discreetly, that he had even vanished completely from their system - they had reached out to his family, offered that perhaps he should take up online classes to complete his education.

His parents had sent in - proof of a different sort that they wouldn’t need to worry about how this would affect their son.

Ran couldn’t figure out why they hadn’t told her what that was. Her best guess had been studying through an American school system or just different high school, but that didn’t explain the trembling her sensei’s hands as she informed her - and the cut off tone before she’d asked Ran to never ask again.

That same pained look was now in Conan’s eyes as they followed the tears down her face.

She smiled fondly. At least the boy cared, even if she could never explain her predicament to someone so small, “And, what then do you think I should do then, Conan?”

He looked way, but it wasn’t before Ran noticed the shuffle, the squeezed eyes. Pain. She froze at that realization. Whatever he was going to say was -

“Maybe then, Ran-neechan, should stop looking at Shinichi-niisan?” The boy answered.

\- Going to shatter him to say -

“Perhaps - you should look at someone else?”

Ran reached out, and she ran her fingers through his hair.

She had once thought that Conan was Shinichi.

They had a lot of similarities - and she had been young.

Now, she only knew one thing. A weak smile came to her face, “Yeah,” She whispered, “Maybe you have a good point… I’ll take it into consideration.”

The tiny face looked so much like Shinichi’s, and she didn’t want to see it in pain.

A tiny sigh of relief slipped out from Conan’s lips and he looked back up at Ran with a smile, “As long as Ran-neechan is happy,” He whispered, “Then anything is good to me.”

Her smile didn’t fade as she ruffled his hair yet again, and she watched him slip away.

She lied to the boy. She snorted for a moment. How pathetic- now how deep would she go for her lie? Should she actually bring a boy home?

She laughed at the thought, and she wiped the tear streaks off of her face. She looked back at the photo in her hands.

Shinichi would tell the boy about her lie.

 _Well,_ she thought once more to herself, _It’s only kinda fair with the amount of lies he’s giving me?_ Her chuckle was half hearted, but she shrugged, “I suppose in the long run it won’t really matter,” She whispered to the man she knew who couldn’t hear her, “I mean, you don’t call often enough for it to come up as is. I doubt you’d ask me even if you did.”

At least that would make the lie easier to tell.

* * *

 

**Three Months Earlier.**

Ran watched Conan slipped out of his window dressed completely in black.

Her eyes lingered over the man on the curb. His build - She had no doubts. Conan was going out late that night to do something with Shinichi.

Her heart lurched. Kudo was so close, but she couldn’t reach out to talk to him. Not only was it clear that he couldn’t - because otherwise, very simply, he would have after all, wouldn’t he have? - but Conan had - Well, perhaps, she had chosen the wrong lie to tell Conan.

Which was a fact that was scratching her curiosity.

And the fact that he was now slipping out at night to met with Kudo?

She was keeping tight mental note of all the clues, and she was going to be just as much of a Heisei Holmes if she could manage it to figure out the case of Conan Edogawa - the boy who shouldn’t bigger a puzzle then the one Kudo was handling.

It was still one that she’d been working on for the last two years. Perhaps, maybe, it was for her.

* * *

 

**Two Months Earlier**

Ran would never forgive herself for losing track of Conan during the Heist.

He was the Kid Killer after all, and Kaitou Kid was harmless. He was ten now anyways - it was no longer confusing the fact that he could handle himself so well. Maybe it was, but he was no longer the only spot of maturity in his age range anyways… At least, some of the time…

But - After Takagi didn’t bring him back, and after she found out that he’d have to file for discharging not one bullet, but two…

She called Shinichi.

He didn’t pick up. Not unusual on it’s own, but -

But Takagi had had to shoot Kaitou Kid.

What if… His secret wasn’t exactly that he was handling a case all on his own? If Kudo was Kid - and Snipers - and Conan was the ‘Kid Killer’... Then that would snap a few puzzle pieces together.

Ran didn’t sleep. Conan had stumbled in late - early that morning. He didn’t notice her in the dark. He hadn’t turned on the light. Instead he used a flashlight she’d never seen on his watch to guide himself to the futon that had long since given up the term of being a guest’s futon.

The watch, the lead on Kudo, and all the insecurities she had - she itched to text Shinichi. To ask him up front - but instead her fingers ran along the bindings of the small sherlock collection she kept under her bed.

Watson - he wrote.

She pulled out her laptop, and she opened up a blank document.

In the words she wrote - she didn’t craft a narrative like Watson, documented in nature, even if flamboyantly so. Instead, she crafted a narrative that hid all of their lives in lies.

She snorted sometime after the realization of how she was doing exactly that.

_Not so different from the reality I’m in now is it?_

She collapsed from exhaustion that night, and she was lost in the world that was filled with faces she knew, but covered in names that she didn’t.

* * *

 

**Three Weeks Earlier**

The key to any lie was maintaining it - letting it grow naturally.

So it was time to actually go on a date.

Conan smiled, but it seemed to further grow Ran’s confidence in the fact that she’d made the wrong decision.

* * *

 

**Two Weeks Earlier**

There was a knock on the door, and Ran found Kudo Shinichi standing on her doorstep.

“Can I see Conan?” He asked weakly before she could even manage to think of saying the hello he rightfully deserved, “I want to find out if he’ll help me run an errand?”

“For the case you’re currently working on?” She asked faintly, maybe he’d answer something as vague as that.   
He smiled in the same manner, faintly, “Something,” He muttered, “Something like that.”  
She nodded. She had so much to ask - to say. She needed to tell him that she loved him still - to ask if Conan had told him. The cold shoulder - straight to the point - told her that he had heard. So, she closed the door in shame.

She stared at that closed door, and she nearly screamed.

She had learned from him after all that not communicating was not a healthy choice for either of them, but instead of opening the door she scampered away as even more shame filled her.

She found Conan, with his glasses off as he read a book of Sherlock.

In English.

For School - She could already hear him saying. Which was why she didn’t ask - instead she coughed. It was the best way to interrupted Shinichi - and she’d discovered the same for Conan.

All the similarities between the two  -that was what her Kudo as Kid theory didn’t cover.

Perhaps Conan was simply a clone. Of some sort - after all - that had no account for his environmental effects - the small nuances like this the one ones that the debate of nature vs nurture covered.

Conan pulled his glasses to his face like - it simply wasn’t natural. She had nothing to compare it to, but perhaps it felt like the desperation of a man finally breathing again that had motivated that jerky movement.

It was another clue, that she had long had in spades. She rubbed the bridge of her nose, “Kudo Shinichi is at the door for you,” She whispered.

“Wh-What?” He stuttered, “That’s impossible-”

“I know,” She hissed, “After all this time,” She glared at Conan, but that anger quickly passed. It wasn’t Conan’s fault after all.

He wasn’t Kudo Shinichi after all. He was on her doorstep, or always appearing at just the right moment to confirm that he and Conan weren’t the same person.

Or perhaps to confirm that she wasn’t the sane one.

Conan stood weakly, and he nodded, “Ah,” He whispered, “I see. I - I shouldn’t keep him waiting then…” He didn’t look up at her, and he didn’t ask her how she was.

It was clear the anger had left her and filled the room, but she would have collapsed had he asked.

She watched him leave, and her tears were not gentle as the door closed behind him.

* * *

 

**One Week Earlier**

Ran watched Conan whisper in the corner talking with Takagi.

She had an itch in the back of her head, that she should go over to them. That she would regret it if she didn’t.

She didn’t. The last week had been hollow chatter, and Conan’s eyes finally looked alive again and troublesome like any child his age should. It was something that Ran didn’t want to change.

She would make Shinichi’s favorite for dinner that night. Conan always said he didn’t have a preference for the curry she made -like Shinichi did- but even the leftovers would vanish before morning hit. It was a very feeble lie unlike the rest of the web she had yet to fully untangle.

* * *

 

**Present**

It was another heist night. Conan seemed to be overly enthusiastic before the show, but as the hours turned to a half hour to minutes before the show - the boy started ringing his hands.

“What’s wrong, Conan?” She asked sweetly.

They still weren’t the same as they were before she’d lost her tone, before Conan had been alone with Kudo. She swallowed as once again she worried about exactly what that ment. Perhaps Kudo wasn’t the man she thought she knew after all this time? Perhaps he’d said something to the kid they were both slightly responsible for to embitter the child towards her?

“No-Nothing,” Conan whispered, “Nothing at all, Ran-neechan.”

He didn’t even cover his clear lie with his childish eyes. Eyes that should have started hitting that awkward phase between being childish and being those of an adult.

A phase that he’d already nailed- but his biology still didn’t seem to echo.

When was the last time she’d bought him clothing that was a different size actua-

There was a sharp crack of a smoke bomb filling the air jarring her from her thoughts.

Every moment after that filled her mind, and it kept her up - kept her writing - as she tried to handle the fact that so, so many things had happened.

Conan had nearly been shot - he had barely been saved by Takagi.

Kaitou Kid had performed a citizen’s arrest - and he’d whispered in Officer Nakamori’s ear something so hefty that had left the loud, thick skinned man just a little bit paler and silent as he took the man known as Snake from the Kid.

Ran had then been shuffled away. She hadn’t been allowed to say farewell to Conan as they slipped him away.

It was better this way. After all - a man connected to a huge organization had intentionally threatened the boy and sworn that he would hunt him and his family and his loved ones down.

Ran’s eyes lingered on Kaitou Kid.

It did make sense to go into hiding when you were-

She couldn’t figure out the clues. So she kept writing, and she reached out for her phone, and she frowned at the number she’d gained that night. Nakamori Aoko - the Officer’s daughter.

The one that had introduced her, very briefly to yet another clue, Kuroba Kaitou.

Perhaps, she wiped the tears from her eyes, she could find out the truth soon.

It was all she really wanted.

She wrote again to the point of exhaustion. It wasn’t until later the next day that she managed to send off that text to Aoko.

_There’s a cafe under my father’s agency. Would 11 work for you?_

**Sounds perfect to me.**

_Also - Do you think you could bring Kaito with you? There are some things I’d like to ask him about, but I didn’t get his number…_

**I’ll just give that to you. It won’t be a problem.**

_Thanks. See you tomorrow then_


	5. Morning of the Third Day

23:42  **Hey, Kuroba-san. I got your number from Aoko-chan. I hope you don’t mind.**

_ It depends. Who is this? _

**Mouri Ran.**

23:47   _ And why do you have this number? I know when we first met you thought I was Kudo - but I thought I proved to you that I wasn’t… _

**I know you’re not Kudo.**

**But that doesn’t mean I can’t talk to you now does it?**

23:48   _ I suppose that’s true, but that doesn’t explain the why? _

_ Oh - I am not on the market. I know I look like Kudo, but…. _

**…**

_? _

**I can see why you think I might have done this to flirt**

**But**

**that’s not it**

23:52   _ Then what is? _

00:12   **Are you Kaitou Kid?**

**Oh god, that was so straightforward - I didnt mean to be rude**

**Don’t mean to be**

**I don’t know what im saying**

00:15  **But I just need to know**

00:17  _ … That’s something really bold face to accuse me off _

00:23   **I know! I’m sorry.**

**But I think if it’s not you that it might be someone else I know**

**I don’t know.**

**I’d say to ignore me, but I really need to know.**

**Are you, Kuroba Kaito, Kaitou Kid?**

00:25   _ Miss. Mouri? _

**It’s either you or my boyfriend Kudo Shinichi**

**I need to know that it isn’t him**

**Or that it is him**

* * *

 

Kaitou stared at his phone for a moment. He had rolled over and woken up for this.

Why had he done that?

_ Wait a moment. _ He leered at his phone, and he quickly sent a screenshot to Kudo. His caption with it -  _ think I could get Haibara to slip you a temp antidote so we can be twins for a night? _

* * *

 

 

Ran started at her phone. She had rolled over in bed and sent the message in a hope that maybe the stranger would confess and she’d be able to go to sleep.

Why had she thought that?

She quickly sent a text to Shinichi - I miss you. I am thinking crazy things without you, Shinichi.

* * *

 

00:26    _ I’m going to sleep and hoping this is a dream _

_ If it’s not - then maybe I’ll dignify this response. _

_ Cause Really Ran? You think Kid is the Great Detective of the East _

_ The Saviour of the Japanese Police? _

**Of the homicide department**

00:45 … **And I don’t know what else to believe.**

00:47    _ What else is there to believe? _

**That he’s actually a kid at the moment.**

_ That he’s - oh. Oh-kay. That was not a - _

_ … I’m going to sleep now Ran _

_ I just hope you’re sleep deprived - Or drunk. _

_ Do you drink Miss. Ran? _

* * *

 

Ran stared at her phone and she felt all the color in her face fade away.

Kuroba was a complete stranger - why did she tell him that? Of course he would think that of her. She buried her face in her hands as she felt the heat in her cheeks rise and change the paling problem.

* * *

 

Kaitou stared at his phone, and he felt all the color in his face fade away.

He got up from his spot on his couch, walked over the bed in his apartment, and he grabbed Kudo by the shoulder. He shook him.

“What- What is it, Kuroba?” Kudo whispered as he was roughly forced into a state of awareness.

Kuroba didn’t answer. He shoved his phone into Kudo’s face, “You didn't walk up earlier did you?” He grumbled.

Kudo’s eyes scrolled through the text, and soon he scrolled down.

Kaitou watched his friend pale as he read further. Kudo stared at the last lines for what felt like an eternity before Kudo buried his face in his hands.

“What are we going to do?” Kaitou whispered gently.

“I - I don’t know,” Kudo whispered, “... I have a death certificate. She should-”

“She saw Kudo the other week, Kudo.”

“She’ll know it was you and-”

“And what about all of the other things that you’ve done - the phone calls - the antidote?”

“She’s moved on- why is she worried about this? She never texts late at night. She’s always responsible with her sleep. She gets rather entertaining when she’s sleep deprived. She’s living proof of how drunk sleep drunk can get you to be.”

“Maybe you were wrong,” Kaitou whispered, “Maybe she lied.”

“She wouldn’t have lied.”

“And how do you know that?”

“She - She wouldn’t lie about something like that?”

“To a child that asked her to see someone else because her true love kept her crying?”

“... Shut up, Kaitou. Go back to sleep. If this is still here in the morning - then we’ll handle it then.”

“Okay - But -She got the number from Aoko. Which means she’s talking to Aoko, Kudo.”

“She might ask her then if this is something that’s really bothering her…”

“What do you think-”

“FBI offered me witness protection. I’m sure they’d be happy to extend that to you. I heard what you told Nakamori. I mean, seriously, ‘Perhaps, now you’ll have a lead to reopen Touichi’s case.’? He’s a smart man - and, Kuroba thiefing is still illegal no matter the motivate. There’s no way they won’t trace it back to you.”

“... Maybe I should take you up on that offer then-” A wicked smile broke through after a moment, “What are you talking about - I can pin it all on Kudo Shinichi - After all his girlfriend already-”

Kaitou only stopped talking when the pillow hit his face.

There was a sharp rap on the wall between Kuroba’s apartment and Takagi’s. That rap was followed with a phone call to Kudo’s phone.

“Yes, Takagi?” Conan chirped.

“I don’t care about the details of whatever you’d doing alone - You’re older then you look after all-” Kudo would have interrupted, but his shock kept his brain from forming a response, “But if you could please keep it down. I have office hours in the morning after all.”

Kaitou grabbed the phone from Kudo, and he sat on the bed, “Please tell me what you said to shut Kudo up so effectively-”

“I implied that you were... having fun of a more adult variety - Now please. Shut up so the rest of us in this apartment can sleep.”

Takagi hung up, and both Kaitou and Kudo were still and quiet for the rest of the evening.

“All I did was throw a pillow,” Kudo whispered.

Kaitou turned around and strolled back to his bed, “I can't handle this,” He whispered in response, “Robot clone? Easy. Crazy Witch in High School? Cake walk. Being accused of being Kaitou Kid? Everyday-”

“Maybe you should reevaluate your methods then,” Kudo grumbled.

“But this - That was underexpected. I mean really? How could he even-”

“Oh come on,” Kudo moaned, “Your a thief. I am a detective. How much more star crossed lover could you get?”

“You mean -”

“If this was fiction - I might even ship it.”

“Not you too, Kudo - Wait, Does that mean I need to-” Another round of pillow in Kaitou’s direction.

“I am a morning person, Kaitou,” Kudo hissed, “And I am not above arresting you.”

“Oh so you're also more of a -”

“Kid!”

* * *

 

 

“You’re both morons,” Takagi told them at the breakfast table as he heard their plan to vanish from their girls while using Kudo as a scapegoat, “You do realize it’s because you’re not explaining yourselves that you’re in these predicaments right? And if they want to know - then clearly they want you two in their lives. So they’ll work their ways through it  - or they won’t. But I highly doubt that they’ll have you arrested or caught by your foes. They’re both smart girls - kind and soft- except maybe Aoko - and you know what both of them can be rather violent. That just means they’re strong. They can handle this.”

“But they’re girls,” The boys moaned in unison before Kudo took over, “They shouldn’t have to worry about the weight of our secrets on their shoulders.”

“Two points,” Takagi said with fingers raised, “First - I think it’s clear that your lies are doing the exact same thing. Second - You’re both kids. You shouldn’t have these weights on your own anyways if you’re going to resort to petty reasoning like that.”

Kudo glanced at Kaitou, “We already arrested Snake…”

“But the Bar is still operating, Kudo-”

“I - I don’t live with Ran anymore, and I’m suppose to be in Japanese witness protection. I doubt I’ll be on the same crime scenes as her father, if any…” Kudo’s gaze drifted to an empty spot on the wall, “She - She won’t have to worry about slipping up if there’s no one to slip up with.”

“You can go stay with Hattori as well,” Kaitou whispered, “Just for a weekend or something while she’s sorting it out. That way you don’t have to worry about her coming and finding you. We already know that Vermouth has this spot underwatch…”

“Her we don’t have to worry about with Ran. She adores Ran,” Kudo whispered.

“That’s hardly reassuring.”

“It is, in it’s own ways. They’ve already met after all. Ran - Ran left quite the impression.”

Takagi sighed, and he rose from the table, “Whatever you boys have to do, you have access to me and this apartment. Come and go as you need - and please, please tell me if you’re going to do something stupid.”

Kaitou’s smirk was soft and delicate, “Yeah, dad.”

Kudo chuckled, “Hmphf. He does act like quite the father now a days doesn’t he?”

Takagi rolled his eyes, “Keep laughing it up, and we’ll see how it goes.  _ And i am not giving you allowance, Kaitou. _ At least I’m only old enough to be Conan’s father with his current apparent age.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose, “Anyways. I trust you two not to get into trouble today?”

“Yeah,” Kaitou rubbed the back of his head, “I’ll figure out what to do with Ran then we’ll just be staying in for the day get some work done. I have a contract that I have to finish soon.”

Takagi’s gaze landed on Kudo, “And now that you don’t have school-”

“Helping Dad edit his latest novel,” Kudo quickly chirped,

“Good,” Takagi nodded. He quickly slipped on his jacket, “I trust you two to manage for lunch on your own?”

“Yep,” Kudo rolled his eyes, “As long as it’s not-”

“We’ll be fine, Takagi,” Kaitou quickly interrupted, “Just hurry up and leave for work. Your worry is making me worry.”

Takagi laughed, but he followed Kaitou’s advice. He was running late as it was.

Kaitou glanced at Kudo, “So about those cards Vermouth left us-”

Kudo’s smirk was wide and wicked, “Both have two separate locations. Wanna go stake those out today?”

“Sounds like one of the better options we have for spending our day.”

Kaitou’s phone buzzed. He checked the ID. It was a new message from Ran, “Do you want Ran to know then?” He whispered.

Conan nodded, “Yeah,” He whispered, “As you mentioned - if it goes south I can go hide with Hattori for a few days.”

“And Aoko already knows - I suppose I’ll just find out what they’ve been talking about and  we can decide to go from there.”

“Information theft now?”

“The bug is so old it’s Aoko’s own fault for not updating her phone - because the security patch she has yet to install nullifies the current exploit I’m using. Or upgrading it - She really could be using a more modern phone.”

“... Current exploit implies that you would change your methods for the same effect, Kaitou.”

Kid shrugged. He couldn’t really say anything to that, “Well - at least I am keeping other hackers away from her accounts to be fair.”

“You are impossible, Kid.”

“No. That would  _ literally _ be you, Kudo.”

* * *

 

 

That was how Kaitou ended up panting outside of the Pirot Cafe. 

Cause as much as he loved the fact that the Japan Secret Police had a mole of their own in the Bar - that didn’t make him any more trustworthy then the time he’d nearly been responsible for blowing Kaitou up.

So he grabbed Ran’s wrist without looking up from his bent and panting position, “You’re not -” He managed, “You’re not talking about me or Kudo in that cafe with Aoko,” He finally straightened up, and he looked Ran in the eye, “We’re going back to Ekoda to do that, and you’re not to say a single thing on the way there.”

Ran nodded. She wasn't going to risk it.

“Good,” Kaitou grumbled, “Now we just need to wait for Aoko.”

“BaKaitou?” Aoko stuttered. Speak of the devil - 

“You’re not to say another word,” Kaitou hissed, “We’re going back home for this discussion. And you’re not to say another word.” He rolled his eyes as her still locked, stunned gaze, “Upgrade your damn phone if you want access to some modern security. Also - I know this firm that does exactly that-”

* * *

 

 

Ran stood, and she stepped away from the table in the Kudo house.

Kaitou had lied about their destination, and it seemed that he had a very, very good reason to do so.

“Where is Kudo?” Ran asked. Her voice was a weak and shattered shell. Kaitou flinched. He couldn’t read the motivation behind it. He couldn’t tell how she’d react to seeing Kudo.

“I don’t know,” Kaitou whispered with a rub of the back of his head, “TMPD slipped him of into witness protection… Perhaps Takagi would know how to get the two of you into contact?”

After all - the camera on his label ensured that Kudo would know exactly how to react to that attempt to reach out.

Ran nodded, weak and dazed, “Th-Thank you for telling me the truth.”

“Please - Think nothing of it.”

* * *

 

 

Kudo was sitting up in his old room as Kaitou spoke to the girls down stairs.

He fiddled with his voice modulating bow tie as he listened in through the feed from the cam on Katiou’s lapel and the faint echos that managed to travel through the old home’s walls.

He watched as Ran left Kaitou’s cam view, and he stood. He peered over his window ledge, and he watched her stumble away from the house.

He pulled Shinichi’s phone out of his pocket and stared at it for a moment before putting it back. He pulled out Conan’s. He swallowed and he quickly flipped through back to Ran’s number. 

It was the only number Conan seemed to call these days. He held the bow tie up to his mouth and the phone up to his ear as it rang.

He watched Ran stop half way to the gate. She turned back and she stared at Shinichi’s window on the second floor. He knew the angle made him hard to see - but see she could even if it was just the barest bit of eyes and cowlick.

“Shinichi?” She breathed.

His heart stopped, “Hey,” Conan managed.

“Do you want me to come up?” She asked. She had really managed to master the gentle mother voice with their time together.

“But I sound like Shinichi,” He whispered.

“So?”

“I can only pretend everything’s fine in my head when we’re at a distance like this.”

“Shinichi…”

“I’m sorry, Ran.”

“Why does it matter to you?”

“What do you mean, Ran?”

“Pretending that everything is normal when it's clearly not - Why does that matter?”

“It’s been two years, Ran. I am tired. It’s never going to change. Hell, Ran. I have barely grown. Haibara is just now starting to look into  _ that _ fact. Its more likely that I have been shrunk then simply turned into a tiny boy again.”

“You were a late bloomer, Shinichi-”

“It was a failed pill for Immortality, Ran,” Shinichi hissed, “Kaito didn't mention that because no one else outside of the organization.”

“Wouldn't haibara-”

“As I said,” Shinichi’s tone was softer, “Why do you think she's the one developing the cure?”

“Shinichi - You don't have to hide from me.”

“Yes. I do. You moved on - I -”

“Conan. That was a lie that I told to  _ Conan _ because I didn't want to keep breaking his heart over seeing me cry over you. I see now that that was the worst-”

“I would never have told you. I never would have moved out. This is best for both of us.”

“Yeah,” Ran whispered, “Now, I know.”

“Ran?”

“Are you ever going to let me in? Just let me in wholeheartedly?”

“Ran?”

“Or am I going to have to keep prying myself into your life because I am an inconvenience?”

“Ran!”

“No, Shinichi. I am tired of waiting. It's clear to me now that-”

“That isn't true-”

“But isnt it?”

Shinichi heard the phone line click and he dropped the phone so he could pull himself up over the ledge with both hands so he could face Ran.

She saluted, waved, and then she turned away and left him behind.

A buzz to his phone. Shinichi’s phone - and Conan pulled it out of his pocket again.

He stared at Rans message for a moment before he struggled to blink away his tears.

_ Goodbye. _ Was all he wished it had said, but instead she had sent him something three words longer.

_ Goodbye - my first love. _

* * *

 

 

Kaito sat down stairs alone across from Aoko, completely oblivious to everything but Aoko’s bored stare and crossed arms.

“You’re an idiot - you know that right?” 

He felt that the question was rhetorical - but he nodded anyways. 

“Like I would put my feelings towards a stranger over my feelings for my best friend.”

“Just 'best friend'?”

“And my long time first crush? Is that really more kindling you want to add to this fire?”

“No, Ma’am.”

“Still an idiot even if you know how to make one solid decision, BaKaitou.”

“Yep. Got it.”

“I am still in love with _Kaito_.”

“... And I always you. No matter the name I'm wearing at the time.”

“So I am breaking up with Hakuba now then.”

“I mean - His hour long discourses on Holmes are quite thrilling,” Kaitou mockingly conceded, “I wouldn't want to keep you from the finer things..." He opened his eyes and saw Aoko's unamused look, "- I will plan the most show stopping date you could ever imagine.”

“You better not involved Kaitou Kid in these plans.”

“Damn. How about - A date so attention grabbing it might as well be a  _ car crash on the side of the road _ ? ‘Cause we call know that Kuroba Kaito?  _ Horribly unromantic. _ ”

“Better,” Aoko smirked, “I’m liking the sound of this one.”

Kaito smirked, but it faded after a moment. “Can I stop over acting as Kuroba, Aoko?”

“I just want your honesty, Kaitou. I don’t care what that means for the date. I don’t want you performing for me - even if you're not really still the manic magician you've always presented yourself to be.”

With that said they fell into a gentle silence. Their eyes were tired, mazes of emotion, but still they managed to get lost in the other’s.

* * *

 

 

Takagi was finishing up up some paperwork for the day when Ran approached his desk. She put a thumb drive down on his desk, and that was when he looked up at her. It was labelled Conan with a bit of masking tape and a sharpie. The drive would easily attach to a key chain, and the tape would come off just as easily so it could hide anywhere in plain sight.

She smiled weakly at his confused face, “When you can,” She whispered. His eyes widened as she knew he noticed the redness around her eyes. She had struggled while readying the thumb drive. 

She really was in love with Kudo - and now she knew that she really was a good match for him, but of course it came at the worst timing. As everything always had for them.

“I don’t won’t be seeing him any time soon, but if I can never see Conan again, Tagaki. I want you to give this to him?”

“To the boy? What makes you think I-?”

She glanced around. Only Satou was in this particular office with Takagi. She had smirked the first time she heard, but now this held none of the humor. She swallowed. How could she word something like this so only Takagi would understand her implications? She took a deep breath, pretending to shutter, “I - I could also give this to Officer Nakamori?” She suggested. Her body language matched her words, but her steady stare at him knew gave her away to him - or at least so she hoped. She had to hope she was doing this right, “I know he knows Kuroba Chikage - and their cousins to the Kudos who are cousins of the Edogawas… So he might be able to get this to Furikage?” She bit her lip and she shrugged, “But - Maybe you’re right - maybe it’s better to go that way-” 

Takagi took the thumb drive from her hand, and he slowly nodded, “So,” He started gently, “You want me to give this to  _ him _ when he can no longer see you?”

“I want you to give it to  _ Conan _ if you ever find out that he isn’t coming back from his time in witness protection.”

“So if you think you’ll never see  _ him _ again?”

“I mean - if he  _ grows out _ of witness protection that’s a completely different story…”

“Ran - that’s not how witness protection works. They’re in it until it’s safe for them to come out - and if they want to I suppose. Some really take to their new lifes - or have nothing to go back to, I suppose.”

“Do you think Conan would stay in if he was given the choice to come back?”

Takagi stared at Ran, and he glanced at Satou who coughed awkwardly and started to shuffle out of the office. Was it that clear they were dodging their actual subjects? “Well - It does depend on if he thinks he has anything to come back to-”

Ran nodded interrupting him, “Well - if he ever feels like he has to think about that choice - let him see that. And if he thinks he’s lost it - then please - just not a moment before that comes up. We do crazy things for the ones that we love, and I don’t know if Conan will be ready to handle the message on there a moment before he has the actual ability to -”

“Kid checked for bugs,” Takagi said the moment the door close and Ran took a breath, “And he’s known for his security. The room’s clean, Ran-san, and I am struggling to keep up with this to be honest.”

“It’s a message for Kudo.”

“Picked that up. Surprised you knew - but proud he told you,” Takagi leaned back in his chair with a laugh, “You should have seen the panic that him and Kid were in this morning during their drama. Trying to figure out what to do with you two girls.”

“He really trusts you doesn’t he?”

Takagi smirked and he leaned forward, “Honestly - I don’t know about that. I just happened in on them and their crime dramas. I think, I think the only reason I know - is because of how tired he is. Deep cover assignments are hard on their agents after all. They’re known for changing people - but Kudo also has to pretend to also still be himself. So he’s been constantly confronted between his two identities. He could have shattered, Ran.”

Ran smirked, lost in a memory of the first time she’d seen Shinichi after Tropical Land - after the play, “One time - Shinichi - I saw him face to face that time -and he called me Ran-neechan. He was so flustered over it. I couldn’t even think of a reason behind it. Sonoko distracted me from lingering on it. 

“I would play the what if game - regret lying to Conan - cutting out Kudo, but I’ve done it again, Takagi. I don’t know what it’s going to do to Kudo. I did the same exact thing. I told him I don’t love him. I told him I couldn’t keep up-” She wiped the tears off of her face with the palms of her hands, “So - So he could keep me safe by ignoring the agency, me and my father. So he could keep doing what he was trying to do. I love him, Officer Takagi. I love him so much. That’s - That’s why I did it? So he could fool the people after him? So he could focus on pulling them down?” She pressed the palms of her hands to her eyes, “I’m such an idiot.”

“I approve,” Takagi whispered, “Of that logic, but, Ran, what if that means he doesn’t want to come back to being Kudo-” He stopped as he finished the sentence, and he lifted the thumb, “Oh.” He managed, “That why you said-”

Ran nodded as he stared at her. She covered eyes once more so she could focus on breathing and answering him, “It’s - It’s a video,” She whispered, “It’s my confession - my admittance. 

“ _ ‘I know I told you that I said goodbye to my first love - but you Kudo Shinichi, the Great Detective of the East - have always been my last love. I will always,  _ always _ be waiting for you to come back to me.’’ _ That is what it says.”

“You’re an idiot, Ran,” Takagi whispered softly.

She smirked, “I know, but I love him. I can’t move on. He’s always been my husband after all. Sonoko’s always known that. I’ve just always been to thick to notice,” She finally pulled hands away from her eyes, and she stared at Takagi, “You know him now, do you - do you think now that he knows that he doesn’t have me - do you think he’ll move on past me?”

“I think,” Takagi whispered slowly, “I think honestly?” He stared at the thumb drive he had between his fingers, “I think that even if he were to end up living as Conan Edogawa - never able to grow back up to being Kudo Shinichi - that every girl in his life would pale in comparsion to that first love - to Mouri Ran. One truth prevails? Isn’t that what he always says?” He glanced at Ran, and she nodded, “I doubt that this,” He tapped the thumb drive against empty air, “Is hardly a far different truth then the one he has in his heart.”

His hand swallowed the thumb drive from her sight as his grip tightened around it and he slid it into his pocket, “This getting to him though will be the only reason he has to come running back to you when it’s all over,” He met her eyes again and her heart raced with the worry that filled his gaze, “You  _ do _ know that right?” He whispered, “So if something ever happens to this, if something happens to me or it - which very well might, Ran-san - then he  _ won’t  _ no matter where his heart has gone.”

“In a few years - I plan on sending it onto Heiji Hattori as well,” She admitted, “He’s a horrible liar, but…”

“In a few years - he won’t be so hard pressed to tell Shinichi the truth?”

“Yeah.”

“You’ve really thought this through, haven’t you?”

“I discussed it with Shinichi,” She waved at the thumb drive, “There’s a lot of rambling on there before I - You know. I didn’t have the heart to edit it down.”

“You’re a very strong woman, Ran.”

She shook her head, faint and barely able to be noticed, “I am sick with love. I couldn’t move on- even though I tried.”

“You might think differently in a few years,” He admitted, “People grow and they change.”

Ran nodded, “Yeah,” Her voice cracked, “They do.”

“I wish you two the best, Ran.”

She nodded, but she didn’t speak before stumbling out of the office. Her hand stopped over the door handle, and she turned back to Tagaki, “Thank you,” She whispered.

“For what?” He asked after looking back up from his paperwork.

She opened her mouth. She had meant to thank him for helping Kudo, but then she smiled and she stared at him for a moment longer before letting her faint answer slip from her, “For everything, Officer. For everything.”

He smiled, and she slipped away.

* * *

 

Vermouth, dressed as Satou once more - her instincts told her that she’d want to be here today and this was the only way to get past Kid’s countermeasures, leaned against the door frame as she watched Ran leave. She smiled.

Angel really was a person like none other. She could only hope Silver Bullets were immune from truly hurting an Angel’s heart.

She pushed away from the doorway with a smirk. Her instincts had been spot on about distracting the boys today with those stupid puzzles she’d started them on yesterday.

* * *

 

Alone once more Kaitou and Kudo were lying about Takagi’s apartment in the most haphazard of ways. They were sweaty. They were panting, and they had nothing to show for their afternoon spent at Vermouth’s locations.

“I hate her,” Kudo whispered.

“What are you talking about-  those addresses gave us envelopes that lead to the longitudes and latitudes. She lead us on a wonderful tour of the city - cafes that had gift cards for us, an onsen that we skipped on, the deposit box lead to a murder mystery even-”

“On accident,” Kudo hissed, “She sent us there for a couple of _photos - an old draft of a work that my father never finished_ -”

“Kudo. I really do appreciate the photo of the my father even if she's also in them-”

“Yes! But the murder could have been a Happy Hour! I thought we were getting a _clue_! Not a guided tour through Tokyo!”

“The view from the Skytree was nice - I should do something with that vantage point some time - Think the old man will keep something up there for me plan a heist -”

“Kaitou!”

“Oh get over it - Vermouth gave us a day off. Can you really say that you  _ didn’t  _ need the distraction after this morning?” Kaitou asked before rolling over to actually see Kudo’s spot on the floor from his spot on the couch.

“... I still hate her.”

“Agreed - but do you think that maybe - since she’s Satou to Tagaki. And this morning we quipped about him being all paternal - do you think she’s trying to be… I don’t know - Maternal?”

Kudo groaned, “Shut up and go to sleep, Kid. That is not a thought that anyone should have.”

Kaitou laughed, “Yes - and I’m not trying to say that’s trying to set us up to see her as such. But is a bar is legal. And Tagaki is an officer - and they fill the parent roles - would that make us a cocktail? ‘Cause we’re the good guys - but like hell are we abiding by the rules-”

“I need coffee, Kid. You’re over thinking this way too much.”

Kid shrugged, “Probably, but still. Isn’t the cocktail the best part of the bar- the real reason why people  _ go out _ to drink?”

Kudo moaned, “You think she did all of this - from coming as Satou to giving us a day out _ to make a sort of lame pun thing that you just riddled out of nowhere? _ ”

They looked at each other for a moment. Kaitou smirked, and Kudo moaned.

“Of course she did,” They answered in unison, with jarring tones.

Kaitou's phone buzzed.

"Think that's Takagi complaining about the volume?"

"When isn't it?"

"Fair enough," Kaitou admitted, "Also - May I note for the record - that it's also always  _your_ fault despite all logical conclusions that I should be the one causing the problems?"

Kudo could only moan at that as he flumped the floor with his forehead as he rolled over away from Kaitou, "I don't know how you manage to have so much energy after everything that's happened today."

"What can I say?" Kuroba shrugged, "I guess I'm just a kid at heart."

Kudo's moan sent another text to Kaitou's phone.

"It's Takagi again," Kuroba said, informing no one.


	6. The Friend In Osaka

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conan shrugged, “My other friend lives in Osaka.”  
> Kaitou smirked, “Of course he does.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HA. HA. FIVE MONTHS LATER.
> 
> If you didn't think I'd be updating this - you would have been in the same boat I was. Mainly because trying to balance working forty hour work weeks with 17 credit hours after taking three years off was probably the worst Idea I've ever managed to have. 
> 
> I have the next chapter prewritten though (On the shorter side like this one as well. ごめんなさい...) and the one after is props gonna be the conclusion. Figured fair warning on that is fair. This will be the last narrative arch that I have planned for the, ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ These boys deserve an ending to their fan fic after all. (And their canon one, but that's another story for another day. A far off day if Gosho's pattern for this title means anything.) Hope it doesn't disappoint after I finish it. Although - if anyone has requests or ideas or anything like that I might take to writing some of those. I just know that I don't have enough of them - or time - to maintain this indefinitely. Still not enough Dad!Tagaki out in the world though so I'd love to fill that gap! Might even take another jab at it once I catch up on all of the others WIPs I have...
> 
> ... ANYWAYS - I hope - I hope it was worth the wait - or at least is mildly enjoyable despite it! Enjoy!

**Four Months Earlier**

Heiji was staring at Kazuha with eyes wide like a fish.

“Come at me again?” His voice cracked.

“I said!” Kazuha stomped a foot down with a huff knowing that he’d full well heard her the first time, “I said - I like you! Hattori! It’s been years. We can’t keep courting around the truth!”

“Kazuha,” Hattori breathed. Something wasn’t sitting well with his gut, “What happened? Why now?”

“I don’t want you running away from me without knowing, Heiji! I don’t want you disappearing on a case and then never coming home - not, not without this.”

“I would never-”

“Ran didn’t think Shinichi would ditch her!”

“He -  _ He did what? _ ” Heiji tossed his book to the side, and he held her tight, “What did you say, Kazuha?”

“Shinichi - He told Ran that he was never coming home,” She choked, “He told her to move on. He chose a case over her - because they never-”

Heiji was gentle when he pushed her to the side so he could rush to his room. He came back and Kazuha, with tear stains on her face, simply stared at him. He stared at her for a moment.

Then he rushed up to her, and he kissed her. Softly first, he knew she’d be surprised. Then like how he’d dreamt of doing for years. His phone first slide back into his back pocket, and then they both slid to Kazuha’s face, back into her hair. For one short moment in time, they forgot that they needed air to breath, because they’d finally found each other.

Kazuha was the one that pulled back, “What was that, ya idiot?”

Heiji smirked, but he didn’t met her eyes. He pulled out his phone, “I’m going down to Tokyo,” He whispered, “I’ll be gone for the weeke-”

His phone buzzed. He looked at the notification, and he saw the name of the sender.  _ Shinichi Kudo. _ He frowned. He glanced up at Kazuha, “Give me a moment,” He whispered gently. She nodded, “Thank you.” He stepped back through the hallway he’d only rushed through before, and he opened the message.

_ I heard Ran tell Kazuha. You should know by now. I’m fine, Heiji.  _

_ Don’t lie to me. _ Heiji sent back in quick response.

_ You should be making out with her right now. Why are you texting back? _

Heiji’s frown deepened.  _ If that’s what you thought would be happening why did you text me to begin with? _

_ Because otherwise you’re rushing to my side. You’re too good of a friend not to know what that meant to me. _

_ Can’t I do both? _

_ No. Because then you’ll have to explain why to Kazuha. _

Heiji stared at the phone. His frown wasn’t so deep, but the depth of sorrow in his eyes made up for it.  _ Kudo. You’re going to break yourself if you’re not careful. _

_ Go. I know you were waiting for me to come back. _

Heiji shoved the phone back into his back pocket, and he turned his attention back to Kazuha. His steps were gentle once more as he entered their living room. They had decided to share a room during college. It was what best friend did. That’s what Heiji had said. He stared at Kazuha, “I’m not going to Tokyo after all.”

“Heiji - Do ya want to talk about it?”

“No,” He whispered, “Not about Tokyo.”

“Is he- in that deep?” She whispered.

“If he was in Tokyo would he have…” He couldn’t say it. He couldn’t face it. He didn’t know how Shinichi was. He probably wasn’t. Heiji had gone running the moment he’d heard after all. Kudo was older then he looked though. He could take care of himself. So, when Kazuha rushed to him desperate to taste his lips, worried about him vanishing in an instant if she blinked or let him out of her sight at an amusement park, he didn’t pull away. 

Kudo knew after all - He had been waiting for even ground to compete with Kudo on. Now, there was no competition for who would confess their feelings first. Kudo won. He loved Ran too much.

Heiji ran a hand up Kazuha’s cheek as he used her to distract from that realization. She was right to worry. He was just as bull headed a detective, and he could easily disappear.

* * *

 

_ A Week After Conan’s ‘Disappearance’ _

Heiji Hattori was hardly what you’d call a patient man - but he’d been trying. He had been trying so hard when he saw the news about their liquors tried to kill Kudo at a Kaitou Kid heist. He let Kudo have his distance. He was a grown man, and after the costume party a year and half ago, Kudo hadn’t really brought him in on that large operation of his.

Then he simply got a text. From Kudo. About a sudden trip down to Osaka.  _ For work. He had a case - and he’d be dragging down the family with him. _ Kudo was six. Not by choice or reality. Which meant he didn’t have  _ work,  _ not outside of that big case he’d been forced into. The old man he lived with had  _ work _ . Which meant normally - Heiji would hear from Shinichi about how the  _ old man _ had a case and would be dragging the rest of the lot down with him. Kudo only hijacked, subtly. 

In short, that text was the first red flag. Technically the second, if you count the radio silence following the headline that had  _ no  _ actual affiliation with the boy. Heiji had been proud of holding back from reaching out to Kudo post breaking news about how a civilian had almost been killed at a Kid heist. Because if Heiji knew Shinichi - it had been him in that line of fire.

Now, he was questioning that self applause on that matter though. 

So when ‘Kudo’ sent him the date he’d be arriving in town, a deep seed of worry filled the pit of his gut, and he lied to Kazuha about having family arriving in town. He’d be staying with them for the weekend. Because like hell he was going to let her get mixed up into all of this.  So, Heiji was tapping his foot as he stood alone in the train station waiting for Kudo to arrive. “Oi!” That pit in his stomach, hardly eased when he heard a voice calling for him, “Hattori!”

It was Shinichi. It was proper twenty year old Shinichi Kudo, “Hey,” Heiji stuttered, “It’s good to see you, Con- Kudo.”

The man smiled wide, and that was when the bit only grew, “It’s good to see you like this, Heiji,” Kudo answered casually as he swung an arm around Hattori’s shoulders, “Sorry I didn’t give much notice.”

“Yeah,” Hattori frowned, “Not much notice.”

“It’s a temp,” Kudo admitted with a tilt of his head, “My case tonight is the Kaitou Kid heist. Hasn’t put a proper notice in the mail for nearly a year now - and now he personally invites me out?” Shinichi rolled his eyes, and Hattori fought off a frown. Something wasn’t adding up.

“That doesn’t explain why you actually got a temporary antidote for this. Kinda frivolous don’t you think?”

Kudo frowned as he glanced sideways at his friend, “Haibara,” He whispered, “Said I needed the distraction to get something off my mind.”

“Oh,” Hattori whispered, and suddenly everything made sense. That pit in his stomach though didn’t quite clear up, “You said you’re family-”

Kudo waved it away, “Mom is renting a room. We’ll see them afterwards.”

Hattori laughed, “You know, for a moment, I was worried.”

“What?”

“That something had really gone sideways last week - Kid heist news still gets all the way down here, even if they never mentioned that it was the Kid Killer that got shot.”

Kudo paled, “You figured that out?”

“Ya idiot. Ya never even texted me.”

“And you never texted me? If that’s what you thought-”

“I was giving ya space. After you didn’t even ask my advice about Ran and giving her up I figured ya were your man and that you wanted that space. I apologize if I didn’t understand the differences of severity for my alarm. You live a life like no one else does.”

Kudo laughed, “Fair enough. I can’t argue that.” Kudo’s eyes glimmered, “So you thought you’d be meeting up with an imposter?” Hattori nodded with a slight blush. Shinichi’s laugh echoed in Heiji’s ear as his friend reshuffled about so they had an easy pace out of the train station, “And you still came?”

“Of course, Kudo,” Hattori grumbled with a roll of his eye, “If I cared about my safety I wouldn’t have kept you around. If you were in danger I wasn’t going to turn away a clue.”

Kudo rubbed the back of his head, “Now, you’re making me feel bad.”

Hattori hit him on the arm, “Ya should feel bad. Giving me radio silence like ya did for the last week!”

Kudo snorted, “Fair.”


	7. The One Guy That Should be Called A Friend - But Kaitou Would Only Admit Such At His Graveside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here the crack is back. In so many ways. I feel so bad for how I portrayed Hakuba, but like, I had a lot of laughs writing and rereading this. So here's to hoping it's not just my poor sense of humor at work since there is absolutely nothing else in this to tame this pace this time around.

Much to Kaito’s surprise, Hakuba wasn’t an idiot. He had always known that Kaito was Kaitou after all. Even if after a year of personal observation he still had no physical proof. Even if he had instead managed to solidify Kaitou’s cover by providing him with a constant and consistent stream of chances to gain alibas. Perhaps, after a point, Hakuba decided to blindly trust that for whatever reason Kaito was performing these madman escapees had to be a good one. So, when Aoko asked him out, he said yes. Because to the surprise of everyone involved it seemed, he really had only flirted with her to get under Kaito’s skin.

But then, he actually had to date her, and in short after six months of humoring the girl, when she finally called it off - he had cheered. Much to the surprise of everyone in the cafe.

More so to Aoko’s who simply stared at him in response to the outburst. He rolled his eyes, and he slammed his palms down on the table, “Are you going out with Kaito now?” He asked.

“Yes,” She managed before covering her mouth. He smirked, and everyone said he was a bad detective. That he didn’t know how to throw a suspect off guard and get a confession. That was only because they every looked at his work on the Kaitou Case, and after a year and half of not caring on that one, even he would have set a very low bar of expectation for his work.

“Akako owes me two thousand yen now,” Hakuba spat out as he quickly threw on his coat, “I’ll split it with you on Monday.” Then he whisked out the cafe, the bell was still ringing when he jumped with far too much excitement in front of the cafe window.

One of the patrons patted Aoko on the shoulder a few moments after Hakuba had left clear view of the cafe. She looked up the compassionate soul standing beside her, “I was the one who dumped  _ him _ , right?”

~ ~ ~

Hakuba was sitting on Akako’s couch. His back was to the arm of the couch, and it might as well have been a bed. “Why are you here?” Akako growled from the other end of the couch. She sat on it in the same way. She had tried to knock his feet off the couch multiple times at this point, but every time, he just put them back up. 

“The bet,” He answered. He glanced up from the book in his hands, “You know, because you didn’t think Aoko would end up breaking up with me for Kuroba.”

“Because she should have broken it off with because of how boring you are! Don’t make it sound like our bet had anything to do with them! It was all about if you could chase her off or not!”

“Ah,” Hakuba answered with a raised finger, “But see - Aoko had to be stubborn enough to prove her point with Kaito as well. So it is still about them and nothing about my personality.”

“I told you to leave two hours ago,” She growled right back.

“Yeah, so?” Hakuba asked with an eyebrow raised, “You had a book I wanted to read. Are you going to let me borrow it?”

“No!” She snapped looking at the tome in his hands,  _ Ancient Vices and How Human Follies Lead to Contract Deals 101 for Devils -  _ “Why would I let you take one of Lucifer’s books out of my house?” She hissed.

He shrugged, “Because then I would leave you alone to read your book,”  _ Twilight. _ Her face turned beat red, and she nearly threw the book at him. A faint buzz from his pocket shattered the moment. He pulled it out, and her eyes glazed over.

“Kuroba?” She whispered. He frowned.

“No, Inspector Nakamori,” He answered softly.

She frowned, and her eyes refocused on him, “It’s about Kuroba. You know that’s what I meant.”

Hakuba shrugged, “Does intention really matter-”

“YOU HAVE A CASE NOW - LEAVE.”

~ ~ ~

The next day, Hakuba was sitting on Akako’s couch with the same book in hand, “That debrief was boring, Akako,” He grumbled as the other couch occupant kept trying to pointedly ignore him, “I saw the note. It was boring. Kuroba’s apparently got a bit of a vendetta with a Shinichi Kudo? The detective’s been missing for two years though.”

“No,” Akako whispered, “The note asked for a directional detective to come for a rematch. That is not Shinichi Kudo that it is trying to bait out.”

“Is Lucifer your source on that?”

She looked up from her spot in the well worn Twilight novel, “Yes,” She answered plainly, “Is there a problem with that?”

“Do you know who it's really talking about then?”

She rolled her eyes, “Didn’t care. It’s not Kuroba’s note.”

“Then do you see what the problem with that is?”

“The problem is my lack of caring, Hakuba. I’m not telling you how to capture Kaito.”

Hakuba’s laughter was far more enchanting then Akako would have ever admitted with the depth to it, “I keep telling you I don’t care.”

“You will forever care about it,” She hissed, “The white knight will not rest until the moon’s shined its reason.”

Hakuba smirked, “I’m hardly a white knight,” He lightly kicked her with his foot to prove his point.

She rolled her eyes, pushed his feet off the couch again once more to no avail. She frowned as she was practical to agreeing, if only because Lucifer had told her that set of forespoken words had already come to pass. She glanced the sandy blond on her couch, “Then why does it matter how I got my information?”

His smirk was subtle as his attention went back to the book in his hands, “Because you didn’t get all the information required to act.”

“Oh?” She scoffed, “And you have?”

His smirk deepened, “Yeah,” He answered, “Kuroba’s an idiot, but he’s not a stupid idiot. There has to be a reason to madness, and I know he’s got a good heart even if it’s breaking the law. I’ve seen him with that Conan boy - and the way he adores Aoko? Nah, he’s got a  _ damn  _ good reason for whatever he’s trying to accomplish on his late night runs.” He glanced up, “Need I any more then that?”

She frowned, “I don’t see how you can have just as vague an emotional reason when I said the same.”

His smirk turned to a frown, and the playful glimmer transitioned to sorrow, “If it’s not Kuroba’s note, and I’m not the white knight at rest - then what’s to say that it’s not going to go south for Kuroba? A knight at rest means a vanquished foe of some sort, and if the heist note is a fake? Someone is baiting Kuroba out.”

Her jaw dropped out a bit, “So you’re saying that Kuroba’s in danger?”

He nodded. He also licked the tip of his finger to turn the page, “Uh-huh. Because we both know he doesn’t care about the distance any more what with dropping from college and all. He’ll be at the Osaka heist even if it isn’t his note. He’s never been known not to play to fiddle when imposters are involved.”

Akako nodded.

“I have a set of train tickets. Four. You’ll be bringing your hunchback, right?”

“He has a name!”

“Really, Akako? What is it then?”

“Yes! He’ll be coming with me! That was the only reason why you came by today, wasn’t it?”

Hakuba shrugged, “This book has been a really fascinating read.”

“Only devilspawn can read that language, Hakuba.”

“Oh,” He looked up at her with an expression of sudden understanding, “That explains so much.”

“IF YOU’VE FINISHED PRETENDING TO READ MY BOOK - LEAVE.”

“Well then - Train leaves Ekoda Station Saturday at 2:30pm, Akako. Can’t wait to see you there!”

~ ~ ~

_ Hakuba. Where are you at the station? _

**… When I said Saturday. I didn’t clarify that I didn’t mean tomorrow Saturday - but the next Saturday, did I?**

_ No. No you did not. _

**Whoops.**

_ I could curse your soul to spend eternity with Lucifer. You do know that right? _

**And would you really want me stuck with him for the rest of eternity? I mean, I’m pretty sure you’re stuck with him for that same amount of time.**

**Also - Pretty sure I could work something out to learn how to read devilspawn then. You have so many books. Need I say more?**

_ I hate you. _


	8. One Day More to Revolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Last Piece Falls Into Place.

“Come on,” Kaitou moaned. He sat underneath the Kudo’s head. Kudo was laying on Takagi’s couch, his attention deep in the book that he was holding over his face.

“No,” Kudo repeated for the hundredth time that day.

“That was the one hundredth and fifty-seventh time, Kudo,” Kaitou poked at the back of the detective’s head, “I will get you to cave!”

Kudo hummed in agreement.

“You’re not even listening now, are you!?”

Kudo hummed in agreement. Then, He flipped the page.

Takagi stood in the kitchen. He took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.

“Come on, Kudo. You know you want to.”

Kudo’s hum barely made the kitchen. Kaitou’s frustration cleared the kitchen with ease.

Takagi took a deep breath, and he let it out slowly. His phone buzzed once. Then twice. Two messages. Another shout from the adjoining room, and another breath in and out before he pulled out his phone. The number was blocked. The first messaged was a phone number and a name, Haibara Ai. It was the source for the temporary antidotes. Takagi took a deep breath and let it back out. He knew who had sent it. He knew he’d have to take to the boys about how frequently they were scanning the rooms for bugs. It clearly wasn’t enough.

It wasn’t going to be now though. They would just tell him to stop bringing Sato over, and then they would go back to their book and their pestering, respectively.

He opened the second text message.  _ Use as you will. I just figured I would help out if you need it. - The Wifey _

Takagi simply stared at it for a moment. He squinted, a small what started to form on his lips. The buzz for a third message happened before it managed to slip out though.

_ The boys. You should ask them why they said I was their mother the other day. Should get you an evening of silence anyways. _

Takagi quickly closed the phone and rushed to the door. He would do whatever it took to get one of those. 

It worked like a charm. It was hard to believe that he had first properly met them sitting together in silence. The next day was the same show, second verse, and after a week of repeats performances - and reminders from Vermouth that he could easily stop it whenever he wanted - he pulled Kudo to the side. He told the psedo-child that if he didn’t get Kaitou to shut up - he had Haibara’s number. Kudo knew immediately that Haibara would take the Officer’s side in this, and he quickly agreed to Takagi’s demands. Conan though looked up at the officer, “Didn’t think you’d be the one supporting criminal active in this house.”

“Better theft then homicide,” Takagi growled, “And with you out of the way there’s no way the inspector would figure out I’d done it.”

Kudo swallowed, and he nodded, “Duly noted, Officer...”

* * *

 

Kaito stared at Kudo, “The officer is blackmailing you into agreeing to this?” He asked drily.

Kudo nodded, “I know. Surprising right?”

Kaito nodded mutely, “Now I almost don’t want to do this.”

Takagi looked up from his plate - he had insisted that if they were going to play family then they were all going to use his dining table. He set down his fork, a loud clank silenced the boys. He slid a folder to Kaito, “You’ll want to see what’s inside this.”

Kaitou raised an eyebrow, “What is it, Takagi?”

Takagi motioned towards the folder, “Read it. Then you’ll have to tell me.”

Kaitou stared at the detective for a moment before opening the envelope and reading the contents. He slide it over to Kudo, “Clearly,” He said with a voice of stone as the pint sized detective took a read of it, “I didn’t write it.”

“Under moon distressed, detectives come from an eastern direction to meet the western, and there we’ll stand,” Kudo read aloud, “Gathering once again with new faces as the gem in fingers is wrongly called Anthea.” Kudo and Takagi stared at Kaitou. They knew pieces, but it was best to let Kaito say the whole.

“Anthea is an European gem that’s now on display in Osaka until the end of the month. The last day of it the exhibit is a full moon,” He whispered, “They’ve found Pandora. They know Shinichi Kudo is still alive, and they’re baiting us out to Osaka.”

Takagi swallowed. Kudo nodded in agreement, “Give them hell?” The detective whispered.

“Give them hell.” Kaitou answered tightly.

Takagi smirked, but he said nothing. There was nothing more to be said. It was going to be a wild ride.


End file.
